


Knights

by BraveSkye



Category: Mystery Skulls Animated
Genre: Arthur has a caring family, Arthur-centric, F/M, Pictures, Post-Hellbent, Post-Reconcilation, and he's a father of twins, but it doesn't end well in the long run, Σ
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-07-28
Packaged: 2019-09-28 09:19:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 60,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17180237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BraveSkye/pseuds/BraveSkye
Summary: The Mystery Skulls never fully reconciled, Arthur realizes. Knowing that he isn't wanted, wracked with guilt, he leaves. He could never look back once he went on his own path, but even he knew that the past will never fully go away.Thus, Arthur tries to move on after finding himself unable to go back.





	1. It Doesn't Matter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I officially decided to join the Mystery Skulls Animated fandom, and the first thing I do is post a story where it _doesn't_ have the Mystery Skulls together again after Hellbent. Whoops.
> 
> Special Thanks to the Mystery Skulls for the amazing music and to Mystery Ben and the Ghost Team for the amazing animations. Go support them if you can!
> 
> EDIT: Fixed the issue where it somehow had Chapter Notes showing up multiple times at once on both the front and the end. Note to self, don't edit different chapters on multiple tabs, it will mess you up.
> 
> Update: I made a cover for Knights. For some reason, the sketch version looks better than the cleaned up version...
> 
> Update June 17, 2019: All the images in this story are now mobile friendly. Special thanks to La_Temperanza for the tutorial on making the Work Skin that allows this: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15768186

Once a life changing event happens, no one involved can go back to what they once were.

It has only been two, almost three years, and so much has changed for him at the tender age of twenty-five. So much now, that Arthur didn't bother thinking about it much anymore as he stared out the window from his work desk, gazing at the moon.

Even though Lewis is successfully back in their lives, in the end, he is but a vengeful wraith. If there is one thing Arthur knew, even though he never meant for it to happen, even though the killing of Lewis was done unwillingly, it still didn't change the fact that it happened regardless by his hand. Vivi never fully regained the memories lost. Lewis never fully regained his life. Mystery, eh... Arthur didn't really know what to think of the kitsune turned dog, the very reason his arm is even gone.

Arthur never regained his friendship with them. All for something he never committed willingly. Something outside his control.

Vivi did try to mend the drift between the three of them, but the damage is already done. Lewis, despite knowing the circumstances that lead to his death, still gave Arthur his signature glare in his ghost form when the two were alone. Arthur endured the yelling and the cursing, and the injuries that scarred hidden under his right sleeve, proved that Lewis now hated him. Arthur put up with it, since he felt that it was well deserved, even if he didn't want it.

Arthur felt an emptiness in his chest when he saw Lewis back with Vivi, just like in the fashion they were in back when the former was alive. Lewis? Nice? Any nice acts made by the wraith that were directed at him when Vivi was around? All an act.

...

Well, it doesn't really matter now, does it?

“My knight?” Arthur looked up and saw his beloved look down at him, concern showing on her face as she laid a hand on his right shoulder, “My star, is there something on your mind?”

He smiled to hide his sadness, placing his left hand, his prosthetic, over hers, their wedding bands sparkling from the moonlight shining from the window, “No, nothing. I'm just thinking about how happy I am to have met you and our family.”

He knew very well that she isn't fooled by the first part when her response is to simply hug him, which made him return her embrace. She made him happy, never asked too many questions, and made sure that he felt safe with her, despite the background of her and her side of the family. In turn, he made her happy, and provided her all the equipment she needed for her family's main job, despite his reluctance to participate with her at times. To the two of them, it is a relationship they are fine with.

“Let's get to bed, my knight. It's late. We should start the new year with good health.”

He nodded, and as he followed, thought back to the time when he first met her.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It wasn't love at first sight for the two.
> 
> Just to note, to keep things ambiguous, the immediate events that take place after Hellbent will not be fully described. All I will say is that Arthur survived, Shiromori has been defeated, the Mystery Skulls managed to set some facts straight, but the damage is too deep. Three guesses how that went.
> 
> Also, the idea for this story came when I saw one post from the Skull Crew that said this: "Lewis was a ghost materialized out of anger and disdain, so he’s pretty easily blinded by rage. I find it so charming you guys really want him to sit down and have a friendly, if not somewhat hostile, chat with Arthur."
> 
> ...Rather chilling, huh?


	2. This Time I Might Just Disappear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wonder what happened...

_**Three Years Ago...** _

\- - - - - -

Here he is, riding a bus away from Tempo, Texas to... somewhere in the East. Arthur didn't bother planning that far ahead. All he has is a backpack full of various items and savings beside him, and a small travel cage containing Galahad in his lap.

He isn't exactly running away, he thinks. He already told Lance that he just needed some time alone and left, saying that he would call once he arrived at his destination. His uncle Lance did try to stop him at first, but relented when Arthur tearfully begged him to just let him be alone for a while. He just needed some time to himself. Lance was still skeptical, but gave Arthur a hug, something he isn't known to do very often, telling him to rest and call him if he ever needed to.

Arthur couldn't bring himself to.

When he arrived at his so-called destination, after switching from one bus to another for the next two days, Arthur eventually arrived at a relatively large city called Cantabile in the state of Tennessee. A modest location, since the place had signs that boasted about the place being known for their musicians, chefs, and doctors. The weather is rather cool and overcast, so it didn't look too bad a place to stop. In reality, Arthur considered this place his destination after he got sick of riding on the bus for so long. That, and he needed to get some fresh shavings for Galahad's cage and food for the two of them.

Fortunately, the downtown area has little kiosks where tourists can get their hands on a free map, so finding a pet store that happened to be nearby is pretty convenient. He found the food, and then the shavings he needed for Galahad, and quickly changed them out with the help of a kind employee. With that done, he started to look around for a cheap motel he could stay at for the time being since the sun will start to set soon. He didn't dare check his phone for a suitable place, since he removed the sim card to prevent anyone from trying to track his location. Granted, he could still use it minus being able to call or send texts, but unless he has an internet connection, he wouldn't be able to use some of the more important apps. As far as Arthur is concerned, he's as homeless one could get unless he went back to Tempo, but he didn't want to return home. Not yet.

...Would be be able to start anew here or somewhere else outside Tempo? The Mystery Skulls clearly didn't want him anymore, and after the falling out with Lewis and Vivi, Arthur couldn't feel bothered to even try to mend things since everything was his fault it happened. Part of him felt bad about leaving Lance behind, but if he hadn't left Tempo, then Arthur might not be able to live with himself. Too many bad memories and guilt among other things that he just needed to get away from for a while.

He kept walking, his backpack secure with Galahad's cage in his arms. He kept his arms covered up with a thick orange jacket and black gloves to keep prying eyes from staring at the prosthetic that made up his left arm, and the injuries that covered his right arm, chest, and back. He looked around every now and then to keep a watch out for potential muggers with a cold sweat. If his backpack gets lost, then it'll be all over for him. Some thunder rang out in the air, and Arthur looked up to see that the clouds from earlier had turned darker and some rain is beginning to form. Cursing to himself, Arthur started to move a little faster, careful not to shake Galahad too much, and looked around in hopes of finding some form of shelter. Arthur then heard the sound of metal clanking together and drills being used, looking to his left, he blinked.

“ _Four of a Kind Queens Auto Repair and Parts_ ,” Arthur quietly read. Rather interesting name for a repair shop. The place itself looked fairly well off, and with four garages full of cars that are currently being maintained, and a fifth one with its door closed. Must be a well known business if it's this busy for them. The rain started to get heavier, startling Arthur enough to run over to the shop's entrance and went inside, hearing a little bell chime. It wouldn't do either of them good if Galahad's cage got wet.

The place itself looked cozy for a mechanic's standards. The heat is on, which gave Arthur some much needed warmth. It even smelled like a typical mechanic's workplace, which did provide even more much needed comfort, even though he wouldn't be able to tinker with anything until he found a workplace himself.

“Hello, there! Welcome to Four of a Kind Queens!”

Arthur looked up and saw a somewhat elderly woman with snowy white hair tied into a braid, a stout yet fit figure while wearing an apron stained with oil looking at him from the reception desk.

“What brings you here today?” she asked, “An oil change? A problem with your car?”

“Ah, no...” he let out a breath he didn't know he had, “I just needed to get away from the rain.”

The old woman didn't respond at first, looking over him and his hamster with slightly narrowed eyes, a brow raised in thought. For a moment, Arthur thought she was going to ask him to leave until she straightened up to look at the window, “Ah. Yeah, the weather's been getting rather dreadful these past few days. A shame, really. That little sunshine we had earlier today was good while it lasted,” the old woman sighed, acting as if her studying him never happened, “Well, feel free to hang out until it lets up. There's a vending machine over there if you want snacks, and a water fountain if you need a drink.”

Arthur thanked the woman before settling down on one of the many chairs that were lined up against a wall with a long window showing the store's exterior. Placing his backpack beneath the chair he's sitting on for added security, he placed Galahad's cage down on the floor by his feet. He opened the cage door and scooped up the hamster with his left hand, then held him against his chest, giving him the affection Galahad missed out on. Galahad is thrilled, and quickly snuggled into the warmth. Arthur looked out the window and saw the rain pour down heavily as cars drove by.

Was it really a good idea to leave? Arthur isn't really sure, the only thing he had in his mind is that he just had to leave. Stay away from _Vivi_. Stay away from _Lewis_. Stay away from _Mystery_. Stay away from **_Tempo_**. It wasn't as if he had a destination in mind.

Maybe he really is running away, but in the end, it's what they wanted.

**...**

_“Wait, what?” she turned._

_He didn't remember exactly how the conversation played out, but eventually it exploded into a one-sided argument._

_“If you're not happy here, then just_ leave! _” he bellowed._

**...**

Better not think about it, then. Vivi and Lewis are better off without him.

Rubbing a finger against the sleeping Galahad's head, Arthur listened to the sounds of metal clinking, parts being added and removed, the saws buzzing... the shop is pretty busy. He wondered if anyone here could use a hand before scoffing to himself. _Yeah, right, like they'd let a complete stranger like me tinker around their shop._ He rolled his eyes in annoyance at the mere thought. He has to think things through, since sooner or later, he'll have to find a motel to stay in. Maybe that old lady from earlier could suggest one?

He closed his eyes to think.

**…**

_Purple flames. The anger. The despair. The HATE!_

_Fuck, it's_ you _I hate the most!_

**_…!_ **

Arthur jumped awake with a cold sweat, thankful that he learned how to wake up without screaming long ago. When did he fall asleep? How long was he...? He looked down to check on Galahad, and saw that someone had put a blanket over him. Checking the cage, he saw that someone had also put Galahad back inside, the hamster happily munching on a piece of celery. He then looked at his backpack behind his feet under the chair and saw that it was left untouched. He rubbed his head to get rid of the brief drowsiness, then went to check on Galahad.

Unfortunately, the hamster has other plans. As soon as Arthur opened the cage door, Galahad dashed out and ran across the floor to the direction that leads to the garage holding the cars.

“Galaham, no!” Arthur got up to chase the hamster, “You can't go in there!” The hamster ignored him and went in, and while Arthur wouldn't have tried entering an employees only area, which is oddly quiet, he had to get the hamster out. Keeping an eye out for any potential hazards, Arthur went in to look for Galahad, and spotted the rodent running beneath a large blue van, the first among a line of cars side by side, where a mechanic was doing some work under it. Arthur watched with dread as the mechanic beneath the car yelped, their legs jumping in surprise. He heard the clatter of a tool being put down, and the person wheeled out from underneath, holding the hamster in their hand, revealing the mechanic to be a young woman.

“You little rascal,” she shook her head in annoyed amusement as she poked at the hamster's cheeks with her fingers, “What, that celery wasn't enough for you?”

“I-I'm so sorry!” the apologies started pouring out as Arthur came forward, catching the mechanic's attention, “I was trying to check on him and he ran off! I didn't mean to come in here, I just--!"

“Oh, you're the guy that was out in the waiting area,” the mechanic cut him off with a look of realization, holding out Galahad for him to take, “How are you feeling? I would've woken you after the rain stopped about half an hour ago, but Nana Niniane insisted that we let you sleep a little longer. She said you looked like you needed it.”

Arthur is thrown off by that. They just let a complete stranger sleep in their shop? _What?_

“Sir? Are you all right?”

He jumped, thoughts scrambling in his mind as he took Galahad back with a mumbled thanks. Thinking quick, he asked her, “H-how long was I asleep?”

“Eh...” she took out her smartphone from her breast pocket and looked at the screen, “I'd say maybe an hour and a half? Did you need to be somewhere?”

“N-No...”

Arthur trailed off, not sure at where to proceed with the conversation, instead taking the time to actually take note of the woman's appearance. She looked a head shorter than him, somewhat thin with black coveralls with a white trim on, and has long black hair with one lone white streak tied to a single braid that reached her hips. The only thing that stood out from her face, which has some oil stains, is her pale blue eyes which, along with her pale skin, contrasted sharply from her hair. In other words, really pretty for a mechanic. He shook the thought from his head and looked at the van, knowing that he didn't have the right to be admiring one's appearance.

“W-what kind of maintenance are you doing with this?”

“Oh, this?” she tapped at the vehicle she was working on, “One of our regulars was thinking of buying this used car for his son, who's pretty tall. He wanted us to check to make sure everything's in good working order before making the final purchase from the dealership selling this. So far the frame looks good, though there's a minor repair needed for the flex pipe, but we've got everything needed to do that. I plan on leaving the engine, which does smell a little burnt, to my aunt Morgan, since she's better at that than me.”

“I can look if you want,” Arthur said before he could stop himself, “I-I grew up working at a repair shop, so I worked with cars a lot?”

“Really? Hmm...” she pondered for a moment, glancing between him and the van, mumbling something to herself. Nodding, she turned to him, “Well, it wouldn't hurt to have a second opinion since everyone else is out for their dinner break beside Mama Vivienne - you've met her - and myself. I'll let you have a look at it and I'll take responsibility. All I ask is that you can't take anything too far apart. You mind if I watch?”

“Yeah, just let me grab my backpack since all my tools are in there.”

In less than a minute, Arthur went and placed Galahad back in his cage, grabbed his backpack, and took it and the cage back to where the mechanic is. Setting Galahad's cage aside to a safe location next to a toolbox, Arthur took out some tools from his bag and went straight to work.

“Oh, yeah, now that I think about it, we never introduced each other, did we?”

Blinking, Arthur looked at her, feeling stupid that he didn't think of the same thing, “Um, no.”

“My bad,” she smiled and held out a hand, “I'm Elaine. Elaine Knights. What's your name?”

“...Arthur Kingsmen,” he made sure to take her hand with his right, “And that's my hamster, Galahad.”

“Oh, that's a wonderful name,” the mechanic, Elaine, smiled, her eyes showing admiration, “It's like a hero's. It suits you.”

Arthur couldn't respond to that with his voice, so he went back to checking on the engine, slightly embarrassed. She thinks his name suits him? Far from it, he believes. A hero doesn't run away with cowardice, do they?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cantabile, Tennessee is based off of Nashville, Tennessee, which is also known as Music City in the United States, or at least it is to some. Cantabile is a type of instrumental music style meant to imitate the human voice, hence “singable” or “song-like.” Don't expect Cantabile to be like Nashville, though, it just served as the inspiration for Cantabile's name and to contrast with the city name Tempo, Texas, which is the main setting for Mystery Skulls Animated.
> 
> Also, I don't think it's ever actually stated on any of the official Mystery Skulls material that Arthur's surname is Kingsmen (with an E, not an A), since that's the name of the repair shop Arthur's uncle Lance owns, Kingsmen Mechanics (also with an E). However, for the sake of the plot, this will be the case here. Vivi Yukino and Lewis Pepper have their official surnames, but don't expect them or Mystery to show up anywhere outside of flashbacks.
> 
> Just to note, Nana Niniane and Mama Vivienne are two different people, so that's not a typo.


	3. So Long Since I've Wrote About It

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The guilt remains, and Arthur knows that even though he's married now, he cannot bring himself to go back to introduce his side of the family. So he hides them, instead.
> 
> Just what did the Mystery Skulls _do...?_

The next day came by, and Arthur woke up in his warm soft bed, happy that he didn't have a nightmare this time. He looked to his left, and didn't see Elaine beside him. He isn't surprised, considering the circumstances.

Arthur got off from bed and attached his arm, which received many upgrades compared to the model he had back when he left Tempo. Now, his left arm received a skin covering that left it nearly indistinguishable from a real arm unless one examined it up close, which helped make him feel less self-conscious about it. Ever since Arthur left his old life behind, he never liked being outside that much with his old prosthetic, fearing that someone would stare and eventually recognize him. He even went so far as to avoid wearing orange vests like he used to, instead opting for ones with darker colors such as brown or black. He dressed in a white shirt like he usually does with dark burgundy pants, before donning the vest in question. He stared at the mirror hanging on the wall and nodded to himself.

_You are okay, Arthur. You will be fine. You live for them now._

He didn't want to go back. Not now, not ever. Not when he has a wife to be with...

“Arthur, could you tend to Percy real quick? I have my hands full with Gwen. He's already been fed and changed, so I think he just wants to be held by you.”

...and two babies to take care of. He went to the other side of the room and gently lifted the three-month-old baby boy from the crib. He saw Elaine's figure poke out from the bathroom door and take a box of wet wipes from the dresser nearby before going back in. With the tiny babe safe in the crook of his arms, Arthur left the bedroom, went to his work desk down the hall, and sat down on the chair. He then grabbed a small book that held the logo of a horse's head behind a shield with a sword from the stack and opened it, then slowly went through the pages of his diary entries, casually reading through some of them.

_I don't know why, but Elaine gave me this diary for my birthday. She said that if I write down the things that trouble me, I can be less stressed about it or something like that? ~~Honestly, if I wrote all my troubles down, I'd probably fill this book twice or more by now.~~_

He flipped a page.

_I've had this for a few months now. I guess it's helping. Writing out my thoughts and then processing them has helped me plan out on how to deal with this. It helped sort out the dreams, too._

He skipped past a few pages.

~~_I'm worried they'll find me, I left without them knowing. I don't want to go back. Lewis hates me and I'll just be in the way. Vivi wouldn't give up until she found me. I don't want Mystery to track-_ ~~

He skipped many pages to avoid that entry, suppressing the fear while trying to stop his hand from shaking.

He looked at an entry that held handwriting that wasn't his.

 _I love you, my star. _ _★_

_What is Elaine doing writing in this? I guess I shouldn't complain, though. It's really sweet of her. I guess she's serious about us ~~being together? I mean, it's most likely that. I DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE WITH HER.~~_

~~I got separated from Elaine while we were at the show. I could've sworn I saw Lew-~~

...before quickly skipping all the entries past it until he reached a blank page for his next entry, and started to write the words.

 _It's hard to believe that Gwen and Percy are over three months old now. Other parents weren't kidding when they say that kids grow up quickly. They still like hearing me hum the chorus of_ ~~_Lewis's song. I wonder if he'll forgive me for using it as a lullaby. I doubt it, but_ ~~ _I can't recall any other song that will work for them besides the noise from the dryer. So far, the New Year is off to a good start._

Arthur set the pen down. He first used the diary to write down things that trouble him, but over time, he came to write down things that also made him happy, the events he had with the family he married into that made him slowly fall for his wife, even though there were some bumps and secrets to show between the two of them. Then came the children, and Arthur would write down multiple child care tips he learned from doctors or parents that were already experienced with handling them.

For Arthur, a part of him still has a hard time believing that he is a father to three-month-old twins. If someone were to tell his twenty-two year old self that he would be married with children at twenty-five, he wouldn't have believed it for even a second.

When Arthur first met Elaine, it wasn't love at first sight, but he did have an admiration for her spirit. Recalling the memory from three years ago somewhat fondly, Arthur held his son gently, holding out a finger from his left hand for the baby to wrap his fingers around.

\- - - - - - -

“ _Holy...! Either the mechanic at that dealership is an idiot or they actually_ sabotaged _the thing! What the hell?!”_

_Arthur stood back with Elaine beside him as the two watched another of the latter's relatives, an older woman with short black hair, examine the van's engine in more detail. It took less than a minute for Arthur to find the woman intimidating, and it wasn't even directed at him! He stepped back slightly to remain behind Elaine, the woman's niece._

“ _Look at this!” she gestured at the engine, “It's just as the kid says, there's so much crap in these pipes that it'll take hours to get it all out! I'm surprised the engine didn't overheat and break apart when our regular brought it in! Ugh! The idiots at that used dealership used the wrong kind of silicon sealant...!”_

“ _Still, this is a problem, Aunt Morgan,” Elaine shook her head with her arms crossed with concern, “His son is pretty tall, and they've spent at least three months looking for a vehicle like this after their last one got totaled before then. I mean, we can clean it out, but wouldn't that be somewhere around the thousand dollar range if we did that? We don't have a spare engine to replace it either, and that would cost around the same even if we did. And last I checked, our regular doesn't have that kind of money.”_

 _Morgan sighed irritably, “I'll think of something. I'll go talk to your mother and see if there's anything we can do about it. At the very least I'll have to see if I can convince our regular to file a claim or even a police report against the dealership for attempting to sell a tampered car. I don't trust them to clean it, but I do want them to pay for it since it's_ their _goof up.”_

_Elaine glanced at Arthur for a moment, then back to her aunt, “Might be a good idea to keep Uncle Miles on speed dial if it somehow goes to court by them.”_

“ _Oh, trust me, I intend to do that from the get go,” Morgan shook her head, wrote down some notes, and turned to Arthur, “As much as I disapprove of having strangers coming in here, I must thank you for finding this issue for me. I would've eventually found it, but you did save us some good time.”_

_Arthur gripped his left wrist, not trusting himself to say anything, so he nodded. Elaine turned to him in concern, glancing at his arms and then at his face._

“ _A man of few words, huh? You're an interesting one, I'll give you that,” Morgan let out a sound of her being a little annoyed, then started to leave, “I'm going to go submit the report in my office. Elaine, go talk to Mom and see how we can repay this guy for his help, she wanted to talk to him, anyway.”_

“ _Yes, Aunt Morgan,” Elaine nodded as she and Arthur watched Morgan go to a door leading to another room, “Sorry about her, she can be a bit hot-headed at times. Mama Vivienne should still be in her office, so... why not come with me and we can talk? I'd like to get to know you more, it's not often we get a man who's great with machines around these parts, if you pardon the pun. Well, that, and there's something she wanted to ask you.”_

_Arthur glanced at Galahad's cage and his bag, considering it. Looking out at the sky, the sun is just about to set, and it will be night time within the hour. If he doesn't find a motel soon, it'll be too dark to safely walk outside._

_Elaine seemed to have picked up on this somewhat, “If you need to take your hamster and bag with you, you're welcome to. Or we could leave them in the office for Aunt Morgan to watch over. She won't mind if it's only for a little while. If worse comes to worse, I can also ask my father to drive you home if you like.”_

_Arthur flinched slightly when Elaine said the last part, causing the latter to furrow her brow. He recognized that kind of reaction, since Vivi was always great at finding minor tells that say otherwise. If she's perceptive like Vivi is..._

“ _I'll be fine,” Arthur shook his head, “You don't need to do anything.”_

_Elaine's look of concern did not leave as she slowly held out a hand and smiled, “Then at least come talk to Mama Vivienne? It's not good for a king's man to keep a lady knight's time without seeing her.”_

_Arthur stared at her incredulously. Did... did she just... make a pun out of their names?! It caught him off guard, and he couldn't help but laugh. He took her hand, the smile still on his face._

_The motel can wait._

\- - - - - - -

A gurgle interrupted his reminiscence, so he looked down and saw Percy looking up at him with his pale blue eyes, wrapping his small hand around Arthur's finger. Arthur carefully caressed the little boy's blond hair, musing at how much the child resembles him, while having his mother's pale blue eyes and a white lock of hair like she did. In contrast, his daughter Gwen resembled Elaine, having completely black hair with no white locks. Other than inheriting his gold-colored eyes, Gwen didn't resemble her father at all.

Regardless, Arthur loved them both equally and smiled ruefully. He knew that he didn't deserve having his newfound family. He remembered being so scared when he first learned that he was going to be a father, but after Gwen and Percy were born, most of that fear went away as love for his children bloomed.

...Uncle Lance would have loved them.

Arthur shook the thought out from his head. Although he missed Lance, he knew that as soon as Lance caught wind of his location, so would Vivi, Mystery, and... Lewis. Arthur did not want to expose his children to them. Not with them being so young. Or ever if he can help it.

The only form of communication Arthur gave Lance were one sided letters. He would write a letter, saying that he is fine, say that he is sorry for leaving, and request Lance to not look for him, even though he knew very well that his uncle – or anyone for that matter – would ignore that part. He would travel to another city during his occasional trips around the country to investigate or hunt ghosts with Elaine and her family, and drop off the letter with the address to Kingsmen Mechanics in a public mailbox with the appropriate postage and without a return address. Elaine always made Arthur stay at home on the more dangerous jobs, so every now and then, she would drop off the letters he wrote in his place.

Arthur will never get a reply because of this, but he felt it was for the best. He made sure to never send a letter while in Cantabile or in a neighboring city, nor send them from the same place twice in a row. Sometimes he would wait for as long as four weeks before sending another letter during one of the trips. He didn't bother sending letters to the Yukino family or the Peppers, there was no point, even though he's pretty sure they would wonder how he is. He wonders if they missed him at all.

He let out a sound through a wry smile. As if they would want him back. He knew that he is no longer wanted by them, not after what happened.

Arthur thought about telling Lance about his marriage or the birth of the twins, but decided against it. The less chance about anyone from Tempo knowing about them, the better. Granted, it wasn't because he thought they would be endangered by either Mystery or Lewis if the kitsune and wraith did know, far from it. However, he did fear that it could cause a fight that would result in death on either side, and even though he is hated by them now, he did still care about their well being.

Percy started to fuss a little, snapping Arthur out of the gloom. He didn't smell anything, and Percy's clothes felt dry. Elaine said said that he's recently fed, and she never fails to tend to him after to make sure he doesn't have gas. Maybe he's too warm or cold? Arthur got up from his desk to pick up one of the spare blankets he kept nearby and swaddled his son in it in the manner his mother-in-law taught him.

The baby boy quieted down, but not completely, so Arthur held his son to his chest and started to slowly hum the lullaby he used when soothing the twins to sleep. He never actually _sang_ the lyrics he barely recalled in the haunted mansion that Lewis's singing ghosts used when he first encountered them, but the chorus the Deadbeats sang remained deeply ingrained into his mind, into his deeply wounded heart.

*

_This time I might just disappear..._

_Whoa-o-o-oh_

_This time I might just dis-_

_Oh mo mo mo mo_

_Oh mo mo mo mo (Oh yeah)_

_Oh mo mo mo mo oh_

_This time I might just disappear..._

_Whoa-o-o-oh_

_This time I might just dis-_

_Oh mo mo mo mo_

_Oh mo mo mo mo (Oh yeah)_

_Oh mo mo mo mo oh_

_*_

Percy stopped whimpering, much to Arthur's relief.

“I still find it amazing that you can get him and Gwen to calm down with that,” Arthur looked up and saw Elaine with their daughter Gwen in her arms, “Every time I try to sing them a lullaby, it's like a roulette. Sometimes they sleep, most of the time they just cry. Am I so bad,” she chuckled, her last words more being a statement of fact than a question.

“I'm... sure they'll take to it when they're older,” he grinned nervously.

Elaine rolled her eyes playfully, shaking her head, “What say we get the day going? Another day, another car to repair for you, and another monster hunt for me.”

Arthur nodded. While this isn't exactly like the times with the Mystery Skulls years ago, Arthur would be lying if he said that he preferred staying out of the paranormal entirely. He remembered being so afraid of everything around him, and he remembered Vivi and Lewis usually dismissing his fears, while convincing him that everything will be fine... until the cave that is.

For the Knights family, it's their duty to protect their home from any malicious beings that tend to emerge in Cantabile, so unlike the Mystery Skulls, they actually have active experience in dealing with things from monsters to ghosts and from dark creatures to demons. Because of this, during the times some of the family members (primarily Elaine and her aunt and cousin, Morgan and Eleanor respectively, who usually go off on their own) were required to travel and Arthur came along with Elaine to help with maintaining her equipment, Arthur actually felt... _safe_. The protective wards that Elaine kept in her van worked wonders, and he was never possessed by spirits or kidnapped by crazy cult members since then.

Well, he was kidnapped once when the two went on a date before Elaine was to start another job, but...

That also happened to be the day that he learned the secret the Knights keep to themselves.

\- - - - - - -

_Despite the inhuman screech, the knife didn't come down to his heart. He heard people scream in fear and in pain until it suddenly went silent._

_Arthur slowly opened his eyes, and saw that he is still alive, still in his body, and still injured. The chains binding his arms, legs, and neck had broken off, allowing him to crawl out of the ritual circle with a bloody pentagram drawn on it alongside many other runes he didn't have time to identify. He tried to examine his surroundings, and through the dim candle light, saw the bodies of the cult members crumpled to the ground. Were they knocked unconscious or–_

_His heart skipped a beat when he felt something sticky on the ground when he crawled past a downed cult member._

– _or dead? He then noticed that something is looming over him, the sound of something rattling and ringing, and went white with fear._

_The giant skeleton spirit towered him from behind by several meters, being visible from the floor waist up. A purple light is shining in its left eye, a color that Arthur is all too familiar with. If Lewis truly became a demon, then...!_

_Was that thing summoned by the circle? Arthur looked down and saw that the monster was outside of it. Thankfully, it seemed to ignore him at first, growling at the cultists. One thing's for sure, Arthur didn't want to find out what exactly that monster is. He needs to find Elaine and get out of the cave while they still can. He wasn't ready to die yet, not when he still has sins to atone for._

_Arthur had been dating Elaine for six months now, and had only just started having the confidence to take part in paranormal investigations again. The first few went okay, and when the two went to investigate this, they weren't expecting for there to be a secret cult trying to summon forth a demon made from the spirit of many dead soldiers that never received their last rites. If that giant skeleton monster happens to be the demon in question... Shaking off some of the pain, he struggled to stand up._

“ _Arthur...”_

_He looked behind him and saw the giant skeleton hold a hand out to him, looking desperate. It had to be a trick. There's no way this monster is friendly, and Arthur didn't want to risk staying to find out. If he doesn't run now..._

“ _My knight, please!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Arthur has become so fearful of the Mystery Skulls that he cannot return home. How does Elaine feel about this?
> 
> And the Knights are more than just a family of mechanics, it seems.
> 
> So far, like Arthur and Lance, almost everyone from Elaine's family are named after characters from the Arthurian legends. Gwen and Percy's names are derived from Guenivere and Percival, while Elaine herself is named after any of the seven(?!) Elaine(s). Morgan is from Morgan le Fay. She's not villainous like her namesake, just a bit of a no-nonsense hot-head of an aunt. Vivienne and Niniane are some of the many names that the Lady of the Lake has depending on the writer. So far, the odd one out is Miles, a lawyer that is Morgan's husband. More of the Knights family will be revealed later.
> 
> To pull off the lullaby yourself, you simply hum the chorus of Ghost, just slower than the usual beat. It's quite soothing, to be honest...?!


	4. It's Got Me Reeling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arthur's mind is pretty cluttered.
> 
> I need a clue.
> 
> Edit: Now with pictures.
> 
> Edit 2: Fixed some grammar mistakes and added more notes at the bottom.

Arthur is in the fifth garage that's usually closed off in Four of a Kind Queens, taking apart a car engine with a baby monitor on the desk nearby. He would glance at it every now and then, and see the twins sleeping together in their crib on the tiny little screen. It could also detect sound, which made Arthur easily hear the lullaby music and sea sounds the little aquarium light in the crib plays. Whenever he heard the sound of either of them crying, he could quickly clean himself up and tend to them, assuming Vivienne doesn't get to them first.

Turning away from the monitor, he went back to work and his mind drifted to the the series of events that led to him leaving Tempo. First he arrived in Cantabile, then he met Elaine hours after doing so. Then he got hired by her grandmother as a mechanic right then and there after he found a major case of vehicular sabotage... and then Elaine suddenly asked him out on a date three months later.

Instead of a typical dinner or movie date, she invited him to attend a robotics convention a few hours away with her family. It was there that Arthur discovered that he has a new partial fear: crowds. He learned to manage it as long as he remained with someone he knew, because if when he remained alone, he could've sworn he saw either Lewis or Mystery or even Vivi peering at him from the corner of his eye. When Elaine learned of his newfound fear, she remained with him for the remainder of the trip.

Elaine may not know anything about Vivi or Lewis, or the Mystery Skulls in general, since Arthur never told her or the Knights family their names, but he is happy that she wanted to help him all the same. He still hasn't told her about the exact circumstances that made him leave Tempo, but Elaine never pressed for details, and the rest of the Knights left it alone, too.

As he got to know them, Arthur learned that the Knights are actually a family clan that specialize in monster hunting, and they happen to be monsters that hunt their own kind in a sense. They actively fight the monsters with the very power in their bloodline. It's not just ghosts they handle, but anything supernatural and malicious in general. So essentially, they're like the Mystery Skulls, but instead of merely investigating any strange occurrences, they actively hunt for the reasons things become haunted or people disappearing.

He remembered being afraid of Elaine, and by extension, the Knights family for two whole weeks after learning their secret.

\- - - - - - -

_Arthur knew that he is at Elaine's mercy, he felt numb, unable to feel the stinging from the alcohol used to disinfect his wounds. He struggled to keep the fear down his throat, and used every last bit of restraint to keep himself from running away. After Elaine rescued him, she quickly took him back to her van to assess his injuries. With the cult's drug still in his system, he had difficulty walking straight, so Elaine guided him to the small cot in the back of the van and took out the first aid supplies._

_Elaine looked down, tears beginning to form, “I... I was going to tell you once we reached our seven month anniversary, but I guess this renders that pointless.”_

_It definitely explains things. The reason they're so efficient at hunting monsters is that they are monsters themselves. Monsters with human ancestry, humans with strong magic, or humans with monster ancestry...? How that is possible, Arthur couldn't even start trying to figure that out._

“ _I... I know you're afraid. I can feel your fear, and I wouldn't be surprised if you're afraid of me right now,” she gave a dark chuckle to hold her tears back, “I'm not used to being feared, since I never had to use my power like that before, but I... I just only wanted to save you. I-if you don't want to be with me anymore... I will understand,” she wiped at her face with her hand._

_Arthur isn't sure what to think anymore. After having a vengeful wraith try to kill him, a wraith of his former best friend at that, Arthur developed a fear of the many different kinds of ghosts and monsters that exist in the paranormal even though he still continued the path of being an investigator. Not even Arthur himself knows why he still keeps investigating the paranormal despite his fears, although part of him assumed that it, along with his talent at robotics and engineering, are the only things he's good at._

_Even though he is afraid, it is only through sheer willpower that he keeps going despite his hands always shaking with fear. However, the trust Arthur thought he had with the Mystery Skulls themselves is long shattered and damaged beyond repair, and he knew that it's all his fault. It's why he left, and why he could never go back to what he once was._

_When he was taken by the cult, he didn't expect that Elaine would turn into a giant skeleton monster that would then slaughter most of the cult itself, leaving few survivors in her wake._

_He had only heard of the Gashadokuro a few times from Vivi before the cave. According to her, it is a powerful and frightening yokai that originated from Japan, made from the souls of masses of people that never received their last rites, their bones eventually developing into a giant skeleton, their collective consciousness becoming one. How Elaine could turn into one is beyond him, but it still didn't change the fact that she is a monster like Lewis and Mystery are. Despite Elaine's pleading for him to wait as she spoke in that form, Arthur tried to run, tears streaming down his face with fear, but fell down._

_Even though he's afraid, she still helped him. The Gashadokuro are known to kill and eat humans and drink their blood, and Arthur knew as he clenched his teeth in angered despair that his soul is considered delicious prey for predators, so why wouldn't this monster just kill and eat him already if he's meant to be its prey?!_

“ _Arthur... i-it's okay if... if you don't want to be with me anymore... it's okay if you're af-afraid... you can leave me... if that's what you want...”_

_Elaine is crying openly at him, snapping Arthur out of the numbness._

“ _Just... don't_ hate _me... Please...!”_

\- - - - - - -

Arthur has to admit that he isn't really proud of that memory. If there is one thing he wanted to avoid, it's to see his wife cry so brokenly like that again. Granted, the two weeks after that were rough, but thankfully, he and the Knights family were able to... clear up the misunderstandings after many a trial, much to the family's happiness. The irony of Arthur having a paranormal significant other isn't lost to him, but the only difference is that Elaine isn't dead.

_I'm sorry, Lewis_...

Within a year after that, after many weekly dates and knowing each other through their mechanical work and paranormal investigations, Arthur realized, to both his joy and horror, that he had slowly fallen for Elaine once he fully accepted her for who and what she is. He briefly considered wanting to go to the next level in their relationship, but immediately threw the thought out, knowing that he doesn't deserve such a bond, and that he knew that she wouldn't want him. They only went as far as holding hands or the occasional hug, and Arthur knew that she could easily toss him aside like Vivi and Lewis did, despite her saying that she loved him.

Arthur scoffed at the memory of thinking like that, considering their current status now.

He thought back to the time he confessed to her despite knowing that he wouldn't receive any feeling of reciprocity, and remembered giving Elaine his treasured star pin as a romantic symbol of love, for he didn't have anything else to give her. But then he remembered Elaine's thrilled grin as she put the star pin on her jacket, and later that week she gave him a different pin representing a violet crescent moon made with amethyst with a white outline made from nacre. The pin is something she made with her own two hands, which threw any feelings of expected rejection out the window.

Arthur fingered the moon pin in question on his vest. Taking it off briefly, he turned the pin to see the back and looked at the four little stones, a black tourmaline, a black jet, a turquoise, and a rose quartz pressed inwards. He then saw the words engraved among them...

Arthur placed the pin back on, smiling slightly. Despite his many flaws, and the many secrets and guilt he hides, there is someone that loves him, and that is enough. With his current family, he knew that he can finally heal, one day at a time.

_You are okay. This is your life now. Live for the twins. Defy those who wanted your life to end, and live on. You matter to someone, and they need you. You are okay._

He decided to stop reminiscing once again and went back to work. He had to dismantle the engine to find the crack on the head gasket, repair it, then put it back together before it's put back in the car itself. Apparently, the more wealthy regulars Four of a Kind Queens get every now and then prefer to just pay for the more expensive repair than purchase a new car entirely. He could think of two things, which is either one, they _really_ really like that car, or two, buying a new car just isn't worth the hassle. He figured he could understand the second part, but still, either option is expensive.

Arthur thought a part went missing and glanced around briefly to look for Galahad, then reminded himself that the hamster wouldn't be going around stealing screws anymore. Even though it has been a little over a year ago, little Gally had passed away about a month after Arthur and Elaine were married due to old age, which devastated Arthur greatly. He knew it was coming since hamsters like Galahad have a lifespan of three years at the known max, but it still hurt when it actually happened.

He remembered Elaine being thoughtful enough to give Galahad a small burial, unusual it may have been. As the ground back then was too frozen to dig a small grave, Elaine instead took an oak sapling and carefully wrapped the deceased hamster, wheels and all, within the roots, then planted the tree in a large flower pot. Once spring came, she then planted the sapling itself alongside many other small trees in Vivienne's backyard, letting Galahad return to nature. He then remembered thanking her for her effort, knowing that it helped him move on from Galahad's passing.

With the twins being a higher priority, Arthur didn't get another hamster after Galahad. Maybe when the twins are older.

The work with dismantling the engine done, Arthur glanced at the baby monitor, and saw that the twins were still asleep, although Gwen is occasionally twitching her arms. Maybe she's dreaming? He hoped it wasn't a nightmare before wondering briefly if babies could get nightmares. Hopefully not, because he didn't want to fail the twins before they were old enough to remember things.

Arthur shook his head and chuckled at his daughter's movement, “Always the active one, aren't you, Gwen?”

Percy is usually the quiet one, only crying when he needed something. Gwen, on the other hand, is almost always active, babbling whether it's night or day, and crying at random intervals. Arthur didn't mind it most of the time, since tending to her usually distracted him from any nightmares he would wake from in the middle of the night, although he did wonder how Percy could sleep past Gwen's crying when a mere creak on the floor is enough to wake him.

Then again, babies are unpredictable.

Later that day, after finishing up the repair of the engine, Arthur went to clean himself up before tending to the twins. Elaine wouldn't be home until later tonight, so he had to make up for her absence. The twins had been fed and tended to by Elaine's grandmother Vivienne while he was working, which he is grateful for. Being a parent is no easy task, and Arthur knew it. Having Elaine's family help out every now and then has been a godsend, especially considering how close-knit they are. They all lived nearby, while Vivienne lived in the auto shop itself. It made sense, since she's the current matriarch of the Knights family and the owner of the repair shop itself.

“Hey, Arthur,” the old woman turned to him when he reached the living room, holding a somewhat squirming Gwen, “Everything turn out okay?”

“There's a crack in the main gasket like you said,” Arthur placed his good hand on the back of his neck, “We can replace the part, but it'll take all day to put everything back together after that once the part arrives. I already sent the report to Morgan, so hopefully we can get the repair done by the end of the week. Where's Percy?”

“He's still asleep,” Vivienne nodded to the direction of the guest bedroom where their crib is before looking down at Gwen, who stared at her father, “This one was getting a little fussy. I think she wants you now.”

Arthur let out a small smile before taking his daughter from his grandmother-in-law. The baby girl immediately cooed and tried to reach upward. He held out a finger from his left hand for Gwen to take, and she held it with both her hands.

“If this doesn't prove that you're a good father, I don't know what will,” Vivienne said as she used her phone to take a picture of the father and daughter, “I remember you being so nervous before they were born.”

Arthur didn't reply at first, instead focusing on his baby girl. Sitting down on the sofa nearby, he held Gwen close to let her hear his heartbeat, “I still am, to be honest,” he shifted his gaze over to Vivienne, and saw her using her phone to take more pictures, “You're not going to post those, are you?”

“Of course not!” Vivienne grinned impishly, although a concerned tone betrayed her mood, “You'd never let me take a picture of you if I did. I know you're camera shy in more ways than one, Arthur.”

“I just... I don't want them to find me, you know?” he rubbed a thumb over Gwen's cheek, “I had to get away from them. If they find out that I'm here, I don't know what they'll do.”

Vivienne lowered her phone before placing a hand on Arthur's left shoulder, “I know. You did a good thing to get away from an abusive relationship, and your scars _are_ healing, just keep using the ointments like the doctor said and before you know it, they'll fade away. I still remember the first time we saw them when we first actually talked. Remember the look on Elaine's face? She looked like she was about to maim someone when she found out.”

Arthur narrowed his eyes, trying not to smile. He did remember his first conversation with Vivienne, at how he had to leave home and was looking for a motel to sleep at, and had let slip that he had to leave a friendship that soured, which made Vivienne call it an abusive relationship instead. Arthur isn't sure if what he had with Lewis and Vivi should be considered _abusive_ , but he didn't know what else to describe it. They didn't want him, Lewis would inflict those injuries on him when they were alone, and he felt isolated, so he left without telling anyone. That's all there is to it.

Arthur knew Vivi wouldn't hurt him on purpose, but he didn't want to take any chances with harming her love for Lewis, and thus suffer the wraith's vengeful temper. He had already taken away her and Lewis's chance at having a normal life after getting possessed in that cavern, and being with them even after they reunited and sorted out the facts only made things awkward. To Arthur, he didn't deserve anything from them anymore after the events at the cavern. Even though Lewis's murder was done unwillingly, it is the sort of thing that would gnaw at one's soul, throbbing the heart with pain and suffering.

Yet, Arthur endured, too afraid to end it all. He could only run away, much to his self disgust.

Elaine and her family didn't pursue the matter any further when Arthur asked them not to, wanting to leave it behind him and move on, or so he claims. Otherwise, he didn't know how else to cope with the fear of being found and hurt by them again.

It didn't take much to convince Vivienne that Arthur had nowhere to go, so she let him work in the family business, even though they didn't have any official openings, so he would have a way to pay rent for a small apartment she found for him (how she found it at such short notice, Arthur had no idea). The rest of the family except for Elaine were skeptical at letting a complete stranger work for them, but since Vivienne is the matriarch, what she says goes.

Now, if anything, Elaine is too good for him. She's too trusting, and Arthur wondered more than once at what exactly did she see in him, and why did the Knights family accept him so easily even though he was a complete stranger to them. He had a hard time believing that they would work so hard to help him, a stranger, get back on his feet.

_...Why?_

Arthur didn't get an answer until he heard his son cry from the guest bedroom. He shook his head in slight amusement before standing up, “I'll go get him. Could you hold Gwen for me in the meantime?”

“Of course,” Vivienne took the baby girl to her arms, “I'm always looking forward to being able to hold my great-grandkids.”

As Arthur went over to the guest bedroom to take Percy out of the crib, he felt a tightening feeling in his chest. Holding his son close, Arthur knew why he felt so guilty.

Holding Percy with one arm, he held a hand over his face to keep himself from breaking down. He hated the fact that he had to leave Tempo, the place he was always familiar with, to escape the pain and suffering he knew he would cause.

He wondered how the Mystery Skulls are faring for a moment before immediately shaking the thought out the window.

Wiping the tears from his eyes, Arthur cuddled Percy protectively, positioning his son's head to his chest so he could allow the small babe to hear his heartbeat like he had with Gwen. For some reason, the twins always liked it, and it usually kept them calm. Humming the song he learned so many years ago, Percy was lulled back to sleep.

Elaine often complained at how Arthur was better at soothing the twins than her, prompting him to point out that she's better at feeding and changing them than he is.

Thinking back, he took a deep breath to ease the guilt away. Lance will never be able to love the twins as their grand uncle. If everything hadn't gone so wrong, then maybe Vivi and a living Lewis could dote on them, too...

Even though Arthur left the Mystery Skulls, and by extension Tempo, he still cared about them. Although he didn't want to go back, he can't just forget all the memories he built with them.

~~It's his punishment for leaving.~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who do you think is wrong?
> 
> Hamsters usually don't live past two and a half years, so Galahad probably broke a record or two.
> 
> In my opinion, the Gashadukuro is probably one of (if not _the_ ) most frightening yokai I know of. They're giant skeletons that wander throughout the night as their teeth chatter and bones rattle, and they're usually somewhere to be around 90 feet (~27.5 meters) tall. Because they can only be created by multiple victims who do not receive their last rites, and thus bear a grudge, their numbers are known to increase during awful famines and bloody wars, where many unidentified victims die. While it doesn't necessarily have a diet, if any human is unlucky enough to come across one, the yokai will grab them to bite off their heads. It is also very powerful, enough to where it's almost impossible to defeat it through normal means, and thus the only "warrior" that can defeat it is time. Once the spiritual energy holding it together burns out, the skeleton will give way and collapse.
> 
> As for the depiction of the Gashadokuro itself, it can basically appear as a giant human skeleton. Multiple examples can be seen in Gegege no Kitaro, Pom Poko, Yo-Kai Watch (where it's called Gutsy Bones in English), and Nioh (although that one is more monstrous than human-shaped). I would not count the famous _Takiyasha the Witch and the Skeleton Spectre_ woodblock painting by Utagawa Kuniyoshi because it's explicitly stated to simply be a skeleton specter, but it has influenced modern depictions of the yokai itself, especially the skull with its two front teeth missing.
> 
> For the record, this is what the moon pin looks like.
> 
>  


	5. I'm Worried 'Bout the Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I need to find more Mystery Skulls songs to find lyrics that make up the chapter titles. There's only so many that could suit them.
> 
> Update: Added a picture.

_It can't be...!_

_How did he find...?_

_**CRACK!** _

_Arthur's own prosthetic, painfully ripped out from his shoulder just before, was slammed against his head with the force of a crowbar, and he felt himself hit the floor beneath him before spitting out a mouthful of blood along with a tooth. He tried to blink away the painful tears._

“ _ **You've got some nerve, running away**_ **like a coward.** ** _”_**

_A foot stomped down against his chest, knocking the breath out of him with a cough, pinning him to the floor. He grasped at the wraith's leg with his remaining hand in a desperate attempt to pull free._

“ _L...Lew-”_

 _A large hand forcefully wrapped itself around his neck, cutting him off completely. He choked back a sob. Why? Why is this happening? Why did he look for him after he left? He_ wanted _him to leave, right? ...Wasn't that why--_

“ _ **Well, Arthur?”** he struggled to keep eye contact with the wraith's skull, **“What gave you the right to live after**_ **what you DID TO ME?!”**

_The wraith's hand felt like hot metal, and Arthur could've sworn he heard something sizzle within his neck, his vision gradually fading, the tears still falling. He tried to apologize, to say something, but couldn't as he was slowly being strangled and burned alive._

“ _Daddy?”_

“ _ **Oh?”**_

_Arthur's blood went cold. No... not them!_

“ _ **...You never cease to amaze me. First you run away, then hook up to have**_ **kids** **?** _ **How...**_ **hypocritical** _ **of you.”**_

_To Arthur's horror, the wraith's free hand started to reach out to his son and daughter. They had only just started walking, just started learning how to speak, and both looked up at the monster with pure fear. His only two reasons of living were holding each other protectively despite their crying._

_The twins started screaming in--!_

_With an adrenaline rush, Arthur struggled free from the wraith's grasp on his neck enough to shout at the wraith angrily,_ “Stop! Don't you _dare_ hurt them! They have nothing to do with this!”

“ _ **Hm?”**_

_The anger in the wraith's eyes never left Arthur's mind and soul, and he knew that he is seeing it all over again._

“ _ **Oh, I imagine they have**_ **everything** ** _to do with this.”_**

_Both hands grasped at Arthur's neck, strangling him quickly, the twins crying out to him. He desperately reached out to the two, silently begging them to run._

_Where is Elaine to take them to safety?_

“ _ **Considering what you took from me, it's only fair that**_ **I** ** _take what's_ yours _.”_**

_A heartbeat echoed. Arthur felt his neck slowly snapping in half, his breath and vision fading away. His sight shifted until he landed on the left side of his face. He couldn't speak, couldn't move. He saw his feet, his body, to his right. The last thing he heard are the screaming cries and..._

“ _ **For it's**_ **you** ** _I hate the most!”_**

\- - - - - - -

… _!_

Arthur woke with a start, breathing heavily, cold sweat making his simple sleepwear stick against his skin, pain searing through his left arm. He sat up and grasped at his neck, feeling that it's still attached, then shot a glance at his left shoulder. Ignoring the sight of Elaine still in her deep sleep to his left, he saw that his arm isn't even there. The stump itself looked the same as ever, showing no sign of anything being ripped off. As much as he hated phantom pain, Arthur nearly breathed a sigh of relief until he jolted awake in realization.

_Gwen... Percy...!_

Arthur gritted his teeth, that wraith better not have--!

He jumped out of the bed, nearly tripping over the covers, and rushed out of the bedroom. Running past the stairway leading downstairs, he opened the door leading to their bedroom, seeing...!

Two sleeping toddlers snuggled against each other, dreaming the night away.

Arthur slowly dropped to his knees, silently starting to shed tears in his immense relief. The twins are fine, and he is still in one piece. He never knew until now that he would have a nightmare that became his new greatest fear. It's one thing if he's found and harmed if not killed. But if his two children were caught in that crossfire? If they were taken away? He would rather throw himself off the cliff in that forsaken cave before allowing that to happen.

_They're all I have..._

“Arthur?!”

A hushed whisper snapped him out of his stupor, and he looked behind him to see Elaine, still in her simple white nightgown. She gently grasped his left shoulder, panic showing on her face upon seeing his tears.

“Are you okay? Did something happen to the kids?”

“N-No,” He took a moment to get his breathing under control before standing up and closing the door, leaving it ajar. He stepped away so he wouldn't risk waking the twins, struggling to keep his shaking under control, “Th-They're okay... I thought... I-It was just... I thought they were...!”

Elaine blinked in realization with a slight breath before taking Arthur's only hand with her own. Using her other hand to silently signal him, she guided him downstairs. He followed with no complaint. Once they reached downstairs and into the living room, Elaine gestured to the sofa.

“Stay here, I'll make you some tea,” she whispered and passed him a blanket she took from the other side of the sofa to wrap over his shoulders, “Once you calm down, we can talk about it. You don't need to tell me everything if you don't want to, but if it involved the kids, then I need to know that part at the very least. Okay?”

Arthur nodded weakly and sat down, knowing that it would be pointless to argue. Nodding back, Elaine went into the kitchen.

Gripping the blanket with his only hand, Arthur shivered, still shaken up. Most of the shock died down after seeing that Gwen and Percy are safe, but the fact that he had the nightmare at all is... he didn't want to think about it. The pain felt all too real, the phantom pain from his missing arm still ached. His chest still felt tight from being pinned down, his neck still felt hot from the flaming hand, and the left side of his head pounded after getting walloped by his own prosthetic arm. A nightmare it may be, he knew that it will happen for real if the wraith finds him.

Arthur remembered that before everything went wrong, Lewis once mentioned wanting a family of his own. But because Lewis is dead, that dream is impossible. All because of him being weak... Arthur figured that since he has a family now, it would only be natural for the wraith to be envious in a wrathful manner.

Wrathful enough to take-

“My knight. Here.”

He looked up and saw Elaine hold a small steaming mug out to him. Taking a moment to still his shaking hand, he took it while muttering a thanks. He waited until she sat down to his left before attempting to take a sip, the liquid warming him from the inside. Huh. Chamomile. He's had this before whenever he had other nightmares.

“Has it helped you a little?”

“Y-yeah,” he took one last sip before setting the mug aside, “A... a bit.”

Elaine wrapped her arm around Arthur's waist before resting her head against his shoulder, taking his only hand with her left. He in turn leaned closer against her. Neither of them spoke, only letting the wind from outside be the only sound they hear.

The first time Arthur had a nightmare after their marriage, one month after the two tied the knot, he woke up sobbing. Back then, he dreamed about the time he was possessed in the cave, when everything went wrong. He saw that everyone died while he survived, only to turn into a monster beyond what any nightmare would bring. He remembered being in near hysterics before Elaine held him tightly, refusing to let go until he calmed down. It was during that first breakdown, while Arthur was still in shock and couldn't stop himself, did he confess to her that he lost his arm due to a demon in the cave. How a dog, one he hallucinated as a kitsune, had chomped down on his arm and tore it off to stop the possession.

He remembered Elaine wincing as he explained it, then looked apprehensive when he mentioned the fox hallucination. He knew that it's not the full truth regarding Mystery, but it was all he was willing to reveal.

He would have more nightmares after that, usually being repeats. After the fourth nightmare, Elaine made it a rule that whenever he has one, the two are to go downstairs and just sit next to each other, not saying a word until he was calm again. After a while, they would either go back to bed, or when Arthur felt ready, tell Elaine about the nightmare in partial detail.

Arthur hated being so weak, to be held like a frightened child even though he is an adult.

But Elaine never complained. Not once.

Sometimes, Arthur truly felt that he didn't deserve her.

“Stop it, my star.”

He went still.

“Even if you say that you don't deserve me, _I_ say you do,” she tightened her grip on his hand slightly, “I would not have married you if I thought you didn't. Do you think I deserve you?”

“...You deserve a better husband,” he muttered as he shifted his gaze away.

Elaine let out a breath, “You're already on the road of being there, Arthur. You went through a lot, so you need more time to heal, both in body and in mind. This is why we're here after all,” she looked up at him, “Are you ready to tell me what happened to the kids in your nightmare?”

His hand immediately felt clammy.

“I... I was found... by one of _them_...”

Arthur tried not to explain every detail, but soon he broke down crying silent tears. He slowly told her at how the one who hurt him, the monster he ran away from, had found him, and... little Gwen and Percy somehow looking for him, catching the monster's attention, who then decided to take them away as punishment before his head...

“I didn't see you in there, but... the kids were screaming in fear and...!”

He couldn't bring himself to say any more, his hand over his face to keep the tears from falling down.

Elaine stayed with him until dawn.

\- - - - - - -

The next day came, and with Four of a Kind Queens being closed due to it being a Sunday, it allowed Arthur time to recover without needing to take a sick day. Elaine was busy making breakfast, thus making it Arthur's job to wake Gwen and Percy.

He went back to their bathroom to take a brief shower to get all the sweat off, and to help ease the muscle aches he usually felt in the mornings. He isn't sure if it's really chronic pain or just something all in his head, but he felt he deserved it all the same. After showering, he dried himself off and wrapped the towel around his waist before staring at his reflection on the bathroom mirror.

The burn scars from before he left Tempo have faded for the most part. A section on the upper right side of his chest still showed some signs of scarring, but at least it's currently a better sight than how it was four years ago, when it was all red with the skin peeling. His right arm shows little blemish, which made Arthur slightly happy, because when he first arrived in Cantabile, his forearm had signs of what seemed to be a very faint hand print...

_Arthur was being dragged against his will. He tried to pull away, but the ghost would not let go. The cliff below then is...!_

…Turning around to look at his back, where the worst of the wounds were, were several linear scars as if something had clawed at him. Arthur knew they're not claws marks, instead being--

He left the bathroom.

He took the time to attach his arm, ignoring the pain with a hiss as soon as the nerves connected. After checking to see that the artificial skin is intact, he went to his dresser and took out a fresh set of clothes to start the new day and got dressed. Dark burgundy pants with a red shirt and brown jacket, Arthur felt comfortable enough to walk around outside if needed.

Before he planned to do that, he went to the nightstand on his side of the bed and picked up the moon pin that Elaine gave him and stuffed it into his jacket's left breast pocket, holding it near his heart. The protective properties the pin held against the paranormal helped Arthur move on from his trauma, and it will continue to do so as long as he has it. Normally he'd pin it on his jacket, but the twins have been constantly trying to grab things, so placing it in a pocket is the next best thing.

Feeling satisfied with his appearance, Arthur went over to the bedroom where the twins sleep. He opened the door, and saw that the two were already moving about. Arthur smiled, at eighteen months old, the two of them have already grown so much.

“Da-Daddy!” Gwen started to run up to Arthur before tripping and fell on her face. Before he could kneel down to lift her up, Gwen already did so, and tackled him with a hug.

Percy, being the quiet one, slowly walked up and tugged at Arthur's pant leg, “Mama?”

“She's downstairs, Percy,” Arthur smiled at the sight of his two kids, the ones he swore to live for.

He took the time to pick up the twins, holding Gwen with his left arm and Percy with his right. The two of them are starting to get heavy, but he loved bearing this weight just for today. It meant that the the two of them are safe. Safe for him to raise with the love he could give them.

“Breakfast is ready!” the three of them heard Elaine shout from downstairs, “Come get it while it's warm!”

His grip on the twins more secure, Arthur left their bedroom to head downstairs, ready to start a new day. After the nightmare, Arthur swore that he will protect Gwen and Percy with his life, and he will stick to that promise, no matter what the future will bring.

Not even a vengeful wraith from the past that sought his death will lay a finger on these two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...Eh? You find the nightmare strange? What do you mean? Oh? Is it because of _that?_ Hmm... I wonder if they realized it.
> 
> Then again, fear is often said to be... irrational. Don't you think?


	6. Working So You Could Like This Rhythm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mission and then a family reunion. Fun!
> 
> ...Right?

Occasionally, Arthur would join Elaine on her ghost investigations.

With his wedding ring being imbibed with various charms and protection spells, along with the moon pin he kept on his jacket, he didn't have to worry about ghosts or demons trying to possess him again, or at least not as easily. He would use his past knowledge from his time with the Mystery Skulls into either planning budgets or crafting machinery meant to capture ghosts, some of which made Elaine's missions much easier, to her delight.

They even came up with a reliable system that allowed them to work together.

“Hold up, Elaine,” Arthur spoke through the headset as he checked one of the three screens, “Can you... see a _path_ nearby on your left?”

“ _Huh? No, I only see solid wall,”_ Elaine replied, _“I'm moving my hand against the rock right now and_ WHOA it's an illusion?!”

While Elaine went on the actual investigations, Arthur would remain in their protected van using various equipment to help Elaine trek through the areas much more safely, from forests to caves to even haunted manors. It didn't always work, but most of the time it did, and it allowed the two to perform better than ever as a husband and wife team of paranormal investigators.

Case in point, while most illusions can always fool the human eye, it cannot fool a radar since it won't pick up anything that's not actually there. Elaine would wear a special vest that held the radar in question, which would then send signals to the van for Arthur to read as a map, and then use the data to help Elaine navigate. The radar can even detects ghosts that are invisible, which is pretty convenient.

“I'm picking up small energy readings,” Arthur said as he saw the tiny blips indicating it, “I'm seeing one, two... Ah, five of them? They're probably wisps, but do be careful. We're in uncharted territory at this point.”

“ _Got it. You're the best, my star!”_

Arthur smiled at the loving nickname. Elaine has always been the romantic type, often showering him with affection whenever he entered his gloomy state at times. Sometimes she can be a bit overbearing, but letting her know that is always enough for her to tone it down when needed. He noticed long ago that she never called him “love,” instead using phrases such as “my knight” or “my star” as her way of showing affection. He once asked her why she would use those terms when they were engaged, and her answer was plain and simple.

\- - - - - - -

“ _You always seem uncomfortable whenever I call you 'my love,'” Elaine answered, “You gave me your star pin, and you're like a knight to me. A knight is always there for his lady, no?”_

\- - - - - - -

They soon married after that, with the kind approval of Vivienne, who later provided them the rings, the wedding small and personal. When they did, Arthur asked Elaine if he could take her name instead of her taking his, because he wanted to move on. She accepted, and he became known to the world as Arthur Knights.

~~He hoped that the Mystery Skulls will have a harder time finding him that way. He knew at this point that he is running away, but this is all he can do.~~

While the memories from before the cave are still painful, Arthur is able to recall most of them, some of them fondly when it involved Vivi, Mystery, and even Lewis, without shedding as many tears. His nightmares about the hatred from his former friend turned wraith have faded away for the most part. He still gets them, along with nightmares from the cave where everything went wrong and the loss of his arm, to being dropped off a cliff and barely surviving, but he learned how to manage it. The protection from the moon pin certainly helped.

Years have passed, and Arthur never had anyone from his past show up at his front door. It wasn't enough for him to fully relax, but it is enough for him to walk outside with his family for normal every day activities. He still feared going through crowds alone, but so long as he has his family with him, he knew he will be fine.

One day he will tell Elaine everything, but until he can, he will bear the weight alone.

Taking a deep breath, Arthur focused his attention back on the screen. The readings were still there, and he noticed that the map data the radar is detecting is--!

“Elaine? You might want to stop where you are!”

“ _Arthur?”_

“This cavern is a _lot_ bigger than we were told it would be,” Arthur shuddered, “The radar here is picking up a lot of tunnels. What do you see around you now?”

“ _I'm seeing...”_ Elaine trailed off before replying, _“Whoa... I'm seeing a lot of railroad tracks going in various directions, and there's a cart that looks really old. Maybe this was the mine from long ago that the mayor told us about? Ugh... It's so cold in here!”_

“I can check. For now, though, I highly suggest you go back the way you came. If what we're after is in there, it can catch us unprepared.”

“ _Okay, I'll come back to you. I need to restock on some provisions, anyway. How's the snow out there?”_

“Not too bad. Still falling, but slowly. I'll see you in a bit.”

“ _Okay. I love you, my star.”_

“I love you, too.”

Knowing that Elaine is safe, Arthur went to another screen and started to search on the online web for information about their current location. The Knights were hired to investigate a cave that is said to make people disappear in Sharp, Kentucky. Elaine volunteered to take it as if it were any other investigation. Although Arthur felt some apprehension about it, Elaine told him that she'll be doing the actual investigating, while he acted as support, which is enough to calm him. It took about eight hours to get there with their van, although the delays due to toll roads and the occasional road construction proved to be annoying that may have added an extra half hour or so.

Because of their frequent trips across the country, it's not unheard of for their vehicles or other equipment to break down during the worst of times. Thus, one of the former matriarchs from decades ago went and founded Four of a Kind Queens with her three sisters, hence the name. It was due to her that the family is required to know the business to keep it going, so they can learn the necessary knowledge needed to repair their equipment in case they broke down while they were out on actual hunts, while at the same time allow an alternative source of funding to flow in by doing repair work for a living.

Originally, Four of a Kind Queens used to repair regular machines such as cotton gins or carriages back in the old days. Eventually, Vivienne herself added the “Auto Repair” and included cars among the list of things needed to be maintained, making her the first among the line of actual car mechanics. Arthur had to admit that whoever that former matriarch is, she definitely made good results with her foresight. Not all people considered paranormal investigations to be legitimate careers, so having a second job as a backup is pretty smart.

All Arthur knew about the shop's main founder is that her name is Niniane.

Arthur briefly wondered if the Niniane the family has now is the same one that founded the family business before dropping that absurd idea. She'd have to be at least two hundred years old, while the Niniane that is alive is a distant relative of Elaine's, and from the one time Arthur saw her, she still looked pretty spry for an old woman in her approximate fifties or sixties. Then again, Arthur only saw the current Niniane once at a distance during his private wedding ceremony with Elaine, so he wouldn't know for sure. According to Elaine, Niniane rarely reveals herself, but if Arthur can find a way to talk to her...

Right, his mind's drifting off topic again. Focus, Arthur!

He searched for any clues a little more thoroughly, and soon got a hit. According to an online article written last year, the cave he and Elaine are currently investigating used to be a mine from twenty years ago that was abundant with iron with occasional pockets of tin. However, due to a large cave in, many of the miners had lost their lives, and the place was then closed off due to the safety hazard.

It corroborated with the story their client had told them. The client mentioned that whatever is causing the disappearances could either be the ghosts of the miners that died there, accidents due to people bypassing the warning signs, or something else entirely. The two were asked to not only find out what is causing the disappearances, but also see if they can find the ones who went missing to give the families closure.

“ _Oh, crud...!”_

His attention back on the intercom, he noticed that the tone of Elaine's voice didn't sound good.

“ _Arthur, lock the door! **Quickly!** ”_

Arthur immediately locked the rear door to the van, and not soon after Elaine phased through like a ghost through a wall, causing whatever was chasing her to slam against the van.

“What the--?!” he was cut off by a hand slapped over his mouth.

“Be quiet!” Elaine hissed before looking around cautiously.

The two didn't make a sound, but Arthur could hear the sounds of something growling, and his heart skipped a beat when he heard a screech of pain. Whatever it is, it's clearly not human. Soon, it was silent again.

“Yay for protection wards,” Elaine relaxed and turned to Arthur, “Hey, sorry I had to phase through like that. I know you typically don't like it when I do that, but I didn't want to risk your safety.”

His eye twitched, “N-No, I appreciate it, but _what the_ _ **hell**_ was that thing?” He trust his arms towards the door to indicate it while looking at her.

“Well, uh, I'm pretty sure it's the cause of all those people going missing,” Elaine answered with a grimace, “If it is, then it's safe to say that all of them are dead. Or, well, to put it more accurately, they were probably _eaten_.”

His arms still up, Arthur gave Elaine a flat look, “What.”

“Ever heard of the wendigo?” Elaine asked just as flatly.

Well, there went any chances of this investigation going smoothly.

\- - - - - - -

Two days later, the job was completed, the wendigo has been eliminated, and the families of all the people that were killed received closure. Elaine received the payment for the job, along with some reward money from finding the remains of all the victims. Once the remaining paperwork was handled, Elaine and Arthur went back home in Cantabile.

It was good timing, too, since the Knights family is having a family reunion at Niniane's residence located in the outskirts of Cantabile. The place is a somewhat small and modest manor with a large field, a perfect location for occasions such as picnics and barbecues with extended family members.

“And anyways that's the second time I almost died in Kentucky,” Arthur finished nonchalantly. To his surprise, he is slowly being inoculated to the various paranormal now.

He's not sure if that's a good thing or not.

“How _did_ such a monster get all the way down there in the first place? I thought they were native in Canada, or at least in Great Lakes region? The Native Americans that speak the Algonquian tongue ought to keep track of them.”

“Well, Elaine did say that the States has been having a record low temperature on the cold seasons,” Arthur, currently sitting on a picnic table, shrugged after taking a bite out of his fish hoagie, “She thinks it just wanted to explore new territory and it just happened to get stuck in that cave once the weather warmed up enough.”

Currently, Arthur is talking to Miles, Morgan's husband, who decided to join him for lunch while Elaine and Morgan were chatting away about something else while helping Gwen and Percy with their food. The man is dressed in a gray formal suit with a black shirt and white tie, fitting his position as a lawyer. His brown hair is slicked back, which did nothing to hide the gray hairs forming on the sides.

Miles mulled over the thought, then shrugged again, “I hope she's right on that,” he shook his head and decided to change the subject, “So, Gwen and Percy. They're about... five now, right?”

Arthur grinned, “Yup, they turned five last October. They started primary school this year, too. A bit later than we would have liked, but that's what happens to those born after August.”

As the twins grew, Arthur started seeing their personalities shine and develop.

Gwen is a quiet girl, often hiding behind her parents or large objects when meeting new people. She can talk in simple sentences, often struggling to speak any words longer than two syllables, yet she still tries. She usually prefers to play with blocks over dolls or watch Arthur check on the van's engine. She loved the color gray, saying it reminded her of pencils, which did boggle Arthur and Elaine's minds for a while before setting it aside as child's logic. In short, Gwen a quiet girl that takes after her father in terms of personality. Her favorite possession is the toy tool kit that was gifted to her on her recent birthday. Arthur mused that she might be a great mechanic like him or her mother when she gets older.

Percy, on the other hand, is a somewhat active boy. He's the child that treats every new thing as an adventure to explore, wanting to learn his new surroundings with gusto. He would often pick up random things off the ground and collect them in a box, which can range anywhere from bottle caps to animal skulls and one time a live snake (Arthur nearly fainted at that one until Elaine told him that it wasn't poisonous after she released it back outside). He is also an occasional prankster, but the most he's done is basically move things around, or ripping off the labels off of food cans, the last of which later caused Arthur's new habit of writing down the contents of the cans on the lids.

Some time later, after Miles left, Arthur looked at the many people that make up Elaine's side of the family.

There is Elaine herself, now talking to her mother, Caelia. Arthur recalled that Caelia is Morgan's younger sister by three years, and probably the next matriarch once Vivienne vacates her position. The older woman has black hair that she keeps as a braided bun, is around the same height as Elaine. The older woman clearly knew how to take care of herself, as her thin frame can attest to.

Arthur felt that he seriously underestimated the actual size of the Knights family. He isn't sure of the exact number, but there had to be at least forty people, most of them being adults, and more than half of them were women. In fact, Arthur noticed that all the men that were even in this reunion were either husbands or boyfriends. There were children, but outside Gwen and Percy, Arthur only managed to count about eight of them when he saw the children in question at a table nearby.

He isn't sure what to think when he learned that out of all the parents, he and Elaine are the only ones to have a son. Then again, Percy's mere existence alone was definitely a shock to the Knights family.

According to Elaine, to Arthur's bemusement, all of the women in the Knights family for the past ten known generations only ever had daughters, which is the main reason why the family of monster hunters is ruled by a “queen,” so to speak. When it was discovered that Elaine would be having twins, it was genuinely thought that she would only be having twin girls, even by Elaine herself. Even though Arthur noted that the sex of the younger twin wasn't discovered during the ultrasound, no one in the family questioned it since they sincerely believed their theory.

Needless to say, Percy, with his birth, threw that logic out the window without even realizing it.

Because the family title of matriarch is only passed down from daughter to daughter, no one in the family is sure on what Percy's standing is. Eventually, after a few days of contemplating this, Vivienne decided to just play it by ear for now. The only major action she decreed is that Percy is not to be treated any differently from any other child, which essentially forbade the extended family from trying to use Percy as some sort of leverage.

While Elaine is still amazed that she managed to have a son, Arthur once joked to her that the same applied to his side of the family, in that his family only had sons. Well, Arthur isn't entirely sure that's accurate. After leaving his parents and their nasty divorce to live with Lance, he never bothered trying to know his family ancestry. It just never crossed his mind. In the end, to him, he's just happy to have a family.

“Dad?”

Arthur looked to his right and saw Gwen and Percy stand before him, the former looking frustrated and the latter looked a little down. Looking at the two, Arthur noted that the boy looked almost exactly like he did when he was his age, only in that the child has blue eyes and the white lock of hair. Percy's hair isn't as spiky as Arthur's yet, but that will probably change as he gets older. On Gwen's end, she still resembled Elaine in an uncanny fashion, except that she does not have a white lock of hair, while having Arthur's amber eye color.

“Can I, can I...” Percy, looking timid, looked up at his father, “C-Can I sit with you?”

Arthur smiled, “Of course,” he held out his arms in a welcoming gesture and allowed his son and daughter to climb up on the picnic table's chair. Once the two were comfortable, Arthur wrapped his arms around their shoulders. Gwen on his left, Percy on his right, as it always is, “What brings you two here?”

“They said that boys aren't allow-allowed over there,” Gwen grouched, which is rather unlike her, “Girl talk only. They said Daddy is-is not cool. We-We-We... We are Knights, too!”

Wait, how old are these kids? Was this from school? Wait, was this from their cousins? If Arthur remembered right, wasn't the oldest child in their generation at least thirteen? What the heck are they talking about? Or more importantly, who the heck taught Gwen and Percy to think like that???

He rose a rather disapproving brow at the table that held the eight girls, and noticed that some of the older children were actually staring at him before turning away to hide the fact. Arthur let out a breath of annoyance. Did those girls seriously think he will confront them about this? He decided to just talk to Elaine about it later tonight in hopes of preventing a future occurrence. Unlike him, she knows how to talk with her relatives.

Percy leaned against Arthur's right side, gripping at the latter's shirt, tears beginning to leak, “Dad is... cool. Dad is... Dad.”

At the same time, Gwen leaned against his left side, not saying a word, probably too annoyed to do so.

Arthur has his hands on each of their shoulders in an attempt to comfort them. He knew that he isn't the ideal father, but he still strives to do the best he can be. He isn't sure what to do, but eventually a thought came to him. Adjusting his arms somewhat, Arthur gently held his children closer to himself, and started to slowly hum the lullaby he used ever since they were newborns. He tried not to shed any tears or have his voice crack whenever he does this now. The twins are old enough to know what being sad means, and young children are known to easily sense a person's feelings. To Arthur, these two do not deserve to feel his suffering.

By keeping his anguish concealed, it also meant that even though he's struggled to move on, a part of him still didn't want to let the past go.

_This time I might just disappear..._

_Whoa-o-o-oh_

_This time I might just dis-_

Yet his heart would write in pain every time he hummed this song.

_Oh mo mo mo mo_

_Oh mo mo mo mo (Oh yeah)_

_Oh mo mo mo mo oh_

But if it meant that these two would be given comfort...

_This time I might just disappear..._

_Whoa-o-o-oh_

_This time I might just dis-_

Then the painful memories of him being left behind, nearly being killed, or being hated by the Mystery Skulls, made it worth it.

_Oh mo mo mo mo_

_Oh mo mo mo mo (Oh yeah)_

_Oh mo mo mo mo oh_

To his relief, Gwen and Percy gradually relaxed. Gwen no longer looked annoyed, while Percy no longer looked upset. They just leaned against their father, content.

“Thank you, Daddy.”

Arthur did shed a single tear, but he was able to play it off by yawning. Taking a moment to rub the tear away, Arthur continued to hold his two reasons of living. Along with Elaine, these two are his family. Even though he can't go back, he has this family to live for now. He will be forever grateful to the Knights, or more specifically to Vivienne and Elaine, for letting him have this.

But if there is one thing that's unnerving about being in this family as a whole...

“ _Isn't he...?”_

“ _Yeah, he's Elaine's husband. This is actually my first time seeing him since their wedding.”_

“ _So where do you think he came from?”_

...would be the words he would hear the extended family speak occasionally. The women are definitely chatterboxes at times.

“ _Beats me. From what I hear, he doesn't like talking about his past that much.”_

“ _Guys? We should be respecting his privacy. Who cares where he came from? If Mama Vivienne approved of him as Elaine's husband, then I've no reason to doubt him. Don't assume things.”_

Well... at least someone among them is fine with him? Or maybe that woman just didn't care, he did a subtle glance and saw that it's Elaine's cousin, Eleanor. He's spoken to her before, but not as often as he does with her mother, Morgan. Eleanor travels a lot since her husband Nicholas has to move frequently due to his job, if Arthur remembered correctly.

“ _But as far as we know, he's a nobody!”_

“ _Hey, watch your tone. So what if he is? He's still family. Besides, from what I've seen of him, he's been a pretty good husband and father so far. I mean, look, he's with his kids right now. If that doesn't prove he's a good person, I don't know what will. Again, Mama Vivienne approved of him, and even Nana Niniane has given us good word, so keep any distasteful thoughts to yourself.”_

Still, Arthur made it a point to not interact with the extended family unless it's absolutely necessary. It's not that he doesn't like them, far from it, but it's primarily because he doesn't want to risk invoking their wrath. Unless what Elaine told him was wrong, almost all of the women except for Morgan are capable of changing their shape into monstrous forms to fight monsters when the situation calls for it.

“ _Seriously? Just because he managed to sire a son doesn't mean it makes him special.”_

Well, that, and Arthur had actually seen them squabble in those forms a few times in the past. That one time where one woman turned into a Jorogumo while another became a Nure-onna and fought one another was a rather frightening experience. It took Elaine turning into a Gashadokuro and smacking them down to stop them, while loudly declaring that she is not sharing her husband, did she successfully get her distant cousins to actually stop fighting. That happened shortly after the twins were born.

“ _Oh my god, Melia, are you seriously trying to pick a fight? Look, we get it, you don't like him because he and Elaine have a son while you and Tad don't. I'm pretty sure you're not the only one who's envious. At least you have the grace to love your daughters.”_

Arthur winced upon hearing that. Checking on the twins, he saw that the two were actually asleep. He hoped that the two weren't hearing what their relatives were saying. While he is sure that the few family members that do dislike him wouldn't be petty enough to want to hurt him under normal circumstances, but after having a wraith try to kill him for something he didn't do, he didn't want to risk it.

...He is well aware that he is still somewhat afraid of the Knights even after learning their family secret. He knew that Elaine and her immediate family wouldn't hurt him, but he isn't so sure with the extended relatives outside her grandmother and aunt.

He really didn't want to be here now. He wished that Elaine would finish talking with Morgan and return soon, so that they can all go home and get away from this reunion and not expose Gwen and Percy to the envy and--

“What...?”

Arthur saw from the corner of his eye in a distance that resembled something white with multiple tails sitting next to a large tree. When he turned to actually look, the sight didn't change.

Mystery is over there.

In his kitsune form.

_Why isn't anyone in the family reacting to his presence when he is so close?!_

He loosened his hold on Gwen and Percy and started to breath heavily, rather quickly at that. The sight of Mystery is...!

_How did he find him?!_

“Daddy? Daddy, are you okay?”

Arthur could barely register Gwen talking. His heart rate gradually increased, his hands were shaking. He gripped at his left wrist. He didn't notice Percy tugging at his sleeve.

“Dad? What's wrong?”

He saw Mystery stand, and the kitsune slowly opened its mouth, the yellow glint never leaving its face.

The last thing Arthur heard is his name being called out frantically.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _I'm not freaking out._
> 
> The wendigo actually originates from a religious belief from folklore of the Algonquian language. The Native Americans that speak it are primarily in certain parts of Canada and probably around the Great Lakes region, too. While the beliefs vary between the communities, the wendigo is said to be an entity with a never ending hunger for human flesh. Although I have read somewhere that they're also said to be a symbol of the dangers of one's selfishness, and maybe something about how the people can't practice their own religion or something among those lines, I'm not a hundred percent sure. So while the exact facts of the wendigo are not 100% consistent between various sources, what is consistent about them is essentially this: winter, monster, famine, greed, and cannibalism.
> 
> On another note, there seems to be two types of wendigo, one where it looks like a vague definition of a human, or one would have the skull of a stag (which is said to be a modern depiction). In the case for this chapter, the former was used. The wendigo from Until Dawn can give you a general idea on what they look like.
> 
> Like with Tempo and Cantabile, Sharp is also a music term. Coincidentally, there really is a place called Sharpe, spelled with the letter E, in Kentucky. I just chose Kentucky primarily so I can use an incorrect Mystery Skulls quote.
> 
> As for Arthur's parents being divorced, it's from a post that Artsy from the Skull Crew made. It's stated not to be canon since Artsy said it's a personal headcanon of hers, but it's the closet I could get. Regardless, it's pretty much accepted in the fandom that Arthur was better off with Lance.
> 
> ...
> 
> ...
> 
> ...
> 
> Do you think he still is?


	7. People Watching Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to those who commented and left kudos! I have to admit that I am surprised that there would be readers who like my writing. I'm still an amateur storyteller, but I intend to finish Knights. I already have the plot and ending planned, I just have to type it out.
> 
> ...
> 
> Shall we continue?

_Running and running._

_Running and running._

_Running and running._

_Running and running, Arthur ran through the forest path. The moonlight shining from above being his only guide, he rushed past the purple roses with thorns that can burn, the blue orchids that do not heal, and the red lotus flowers that can tear the soul apart. The flowers somehow grow amongst the shrubs and thick trees, the path riddled with petals. He had lost the correct path full of wilting sunflowers that led the way home, but he kept running and running through the path filled with a translucent green mist that reeked of evil, desperate to get away._

_Running and running, it felt like the day he left since he wore his orange vest and his left arm did not have the flesh cover, exposing the metal that revealed the truth._

_Running and running,_ _with the two small bundles swaddled in white and yellow, clutched and secure in his arms, he stumbled on and kept running and running, not daring to look back._ _The two dark shadows were coming in closer and closer behind him. His tears fell while the newborn twins in his arms cried, which made him hold them closer. He hated that he couldn't take the time to soothe their troubles. He has to escape with them first before he could do that._

_Running and running, the fangs and claws and bone and fire will tear him apart if he were to stop._

_Running and running, he knew that he had to find a way to take the twins to safety, take them home where they will be safe._

_Running and running, the kitsune had seen them, and he knew that it wanted its next meal after his left arm._

_Running and running, he knew that the wraith, who sought his death many a time, wanted them for its own._

_His tears kept falling. The babies still cried. No matter what, he will not hand over the twins to the monsters behind him to become their playthings. They are his treasures, his only two reasons of living. He had already abandoned everything else for them to take when he left, and for over a year he had nothing until he received the twin children he himself had a hand in creating._

_And yet they still want more from him._

_There is no end to the forest in sight. The fire started appearing ahead of him, made by either of the dark shadows chasing him, the path gradually burning as he continued to run. The adrenaline is beginning to wear off, and Arthur knew that it's only a matter of time. If he slows down even once he will be caught. If it was just him, he would've long let the monsters do whatever they wished. But with the newborn twins in his arms, Arthur knew that he can't do that. Because if he didn't protect them..._

_Running and running, Arthur looked up and saw what could be his lucky break. He saw an animal, which moved too fast for him to identify other than it was white, move off to another path. Seeing it, he saw the animal rush into an unused area, giving it a blind spot. If Arthur used this..._

_His determination renewed, Arthur made the turn and leaped into the unused path hidden in the shrubbery and spotted a small cave within a very thick tree. Giving it a quick look over, he placed the newborn twins into the small cave before crawling in himself to shield the babies from view. Miraculously, the crying from the twins have been reduced to mere quiet whimpers, and everything is quiet. ...Too quiet. He didn't hear the monsters pass. Does that mean they're lying in wait?_

_Where did the animal that guided him go?_

_He tried to keep his breathing down while finally being able to rest. How long was he running? Minutes? Hours? ...Days? He couldn't keep track of time, he lost track of home. ...Where is the way leading to home? The withered sunflowers that tell the path are long gone._

_Before he had a chance to dry his tears, he heard what sounded like a heartbeat, and he looked to the back of the small cave he and the twins are hiding in._

_...Was that tiny door there before? Arthur didn't recall seeing it when he came in. And... the doorknob is shaped like a purple crescent moon and located right on the center of the door itself? Arthur narrowed his eyes as he knelt closer to examine the knob. The ends of the moon are pointed upward, and there were three slits on the moon itself that resembled a sleeping face? ...Is the moon itself pulsing a gentle light to the tune of a heartbeat?_

_Arthur looked behind him, the area outside the cave. He didn't want to go back out on the main path to check to see if the kitsune or the wraith were still out there. If he is caught, then either the twins will be found to be taken as food or compensation, or they will be forgotten and left to die. Gwen and Percy do not deserve such a fate when neither of them have committed any wrongdoing like he had, such as running away. He knew that the monsters that chased him are anxious from their prey, so he needs to leave the twins in a place where they're guaranteed to be safe. It wouldn't hurt to try the small door to see if it would lead anywhere._

_...Right? For all he knew, it might be his ticket out of this nightmare._

_He picked up Gwen and Percy and crossed his arms to hold them as tenderly as he could before reaching out for the knob._

_The “sleeping face” on the knob woke up. It grinned mischievously, and the door itself looked as if something was trying to beat it down from the other side. The knob and its grin and eyes slowly grew in size as each beat passed._

_He felt the clawed hands of the wraith on his left shoulder, where Gwen nuzzles against his neck._

_The heartbeat grew louder._

_A green substance dripped down from above, melting the cave around him._

_Louder._

_He heard the snarling of the demon fox, the monster's tongue touching his right shoulder, where Percy rests._

_LOUDER._

“ _...Arthur!”_

_The door opened, and he dashed forward._

\- - - - - - -

Arthur's eyes shot open.

What just…?

He started to sit up, or at least tried to. Why can't he move? He blinked, his vision is blurry, but he could tell that he is on a bed in a room with a blue-green wall and a white ceiling. He opened his mouth to speak, but could not muster any sound. He tried two, three times more, but to his panic, his voice is lost to him. Panic is starting to flow in his veins. _What is happening why can't he call for help._

Right. Right, he could still breathe. The deep breathing that Elaine taught him might work. He inhaled slowly, the little relief flowing through his body as his lungs slowly expanded... until they stopped. Just, stopped. No matter how hard he tried, his lungs refused to take on more air. They weren’t exactly privy on exhaling, either, and Arthur was soon reduced to short, shallow breaths, so shallow he could choke.

Someone or something was suffocating him – it's the only answer he could muster. He felt a pressure on his chest, not unlike the nightmare he had with the wraith a few years back.

“Arthur, my knight. It's okay, take it easy.”

He felt a warm hand wrapped around the fingers of his right, another hand gently went over his eyes.

“Arthur, my star, it's all right. You're _safe_. Take it easy and relax, okay?”

It was at this point that Arthur found he could move again. Turning his head to his right, he saw Elaine sitting beside the bed with a look of concern on her face, her left hand obscuring most of his vision.

He tried to talk, but his throat is dry, making his voice feel raspy, “W-Where...?”

“You're inside Nana Niniane's manor, this is one of the guest rooms that she set aside for us if the kids ever needed a nap,” she paused as she pulled her hands away, letting Arthur see her deadpan expression, “Or if one of us gets a little too tipsy, you never know. Oh, and I had to take off your arm. I made sure to remove it after everyone else left, so you can rest easy on that.”

Arthur started to sit up, and noticed something soft fall on his left side. Looking at it, he saw two stuffed animals, a gray turtle and an orange alpaca, lay beside him. What are Gwen and Percy's favorite toys doing here? The twins almost never put them down unless they're outside.

“The kids wanted to stay beside you, but I had Mama Vivienne take them out shopping, so they left Boku and Deadbeat here to keep you company, instead,” Elaine chuckled with a smile, “They're on a mission to find the ingredients to make your 'Happy Food,' so expect to have that gnarly pizza of yours either tonight or tomorrow.”

He smiled back in a teasing manner, “You three like it, too, you know.”

“Oh, hush,” Elaine rolled her eyes before her smiles faded, “Arthur. If... you don't mind me asking, what happened back there? From what the kids told me, you looked really scared. Did you see something?”

Arthur went still as the memories came rushing back. Mystery.

Mystery had found him.

The adrenaline started to peak--

“Arthur, it's okay!” she held him down as he started to scramble off the bed, stopping him before he could get the covers off, “You're hyperventilating. Remember, deep breath for four seconds, hold for four seconds, let out in six.”

His breathing slowed, tears began to form as he clutched at the stump of his left arm, “Th...the fox. The _kitsune_. Th-the kitsune that took my arm. I _saw_ him. He was _there_... by the tree... he _found_ me...! No one noticed him! I...! I-I couldn't...!” He was too shaken to talk any further.

“Wait, you saw a kitsune at the reunion outside?” Elaine looked at the door leading outside of the room, then realization dawned at her face before slamming a palm against her face, “Oh, right! I totally-- Damn it, of all the things for me to--! Arthur, I need you to listen to me,” she held his hand with one of her own while holding his right shoulder with another, “You _did_ see a kitsune. However, she's not who you think she is. The reason the family didn't react to her is that we _all_ know her, and so do you. You've met with her once at our wedding.”

He looked at her, confusion overtaking his panic. He didn't seeing a white nine-tailed fox that could easily rip off a limb or bite out his throat to eat at his windpipe.

“The kitsune you saw is actually--”

A knocking startled the two.

“May I come in? It's Niniane.”

Elaine and Arthur made eye contact, the former pointing at the door and then to his arm stump and nodded, meaning that Niniane knew about it. She gestured at the door with her head while looking at Arthur. Frowning until his lips made a thin line, Arthur reluctantly nodded. In response, Elaine stood up and went to the door to let her relative in.

Arthur saw the old woman come in, and he recognized who she is. She was the Niniane he saw back at his wedding with Elaine. Curiously, she even wore the same blue-green dress with an even darker blue-green, almost black, skirt that vaguely resembled a Victorian-style ball gown. Her long black hair with a single white streak and the occasional gray hair mixed in reached down to her hips, a section of hair that reached down below her chin covering the left side of her face. Her eyes were also a pale blue, much like Elaine's. Around her neck is a silver pendant shaped like a triquetra with a fox wrapped around it bound with a thin black cord.

...How old is she if she has the “Nana” title? Something is off about her, now that Arthur has seen her up close.

“How is he?” Niniane looked down to see and let out a smile, "You are well, that is a relief,” the older woman turned to Elaine, “I wish to speak to him alone. Would you give us some space?”

“What? But, Nana Niniane,” Elaine glanced at Arthur with concern, “He just regained consciousness, he needs time! You know what happened! If he sees that--”

“I understand your concern, Elaine. But I need to speak to him privately. I promise I will not do anything that will scare him. Your mother needs you to handle Melia and her... disgraceful opinions that Eleanor and I have told you about. It might be a good idea that you set some _facts_ straight.”

Arthur had no idea what exactly the two were talking about, but he did see Elaine look both conflicted and annoyed. She looked as if she was about to say something, but eventually relented with a sigh before giving him a hug. Arthur placed his hand on her arm to return her act of affection.

“Please do not be afraid of her,” she quietly whispered to his ear as she passed the moon pin onto his hand, “Know that she will _never_ hurt you. Know that you are _safe_. I love you, my star. I love you so much.”

“Same to you,” he responded with a nod and a faint smile.

After giving him a kiss on his temple, Elaine is gone, leaving him alone with Niniane.

“She really is an amazing young lady,” Niniane smiled, “Even I can tell that she loves you so deeply. You've made her happy, more than any of us could. You have no idea how thankful I am for that.”

Her smile then faded.

Arthur rose a brow in confusion.

“You know, while I knew that you were hurt by a demon,” she came to his left side and trailed a finger against the stump of his left arm, “I never imagined that your trauma ran _this deep._ ”

He leaned away and held his only fist against his shoulder and looked away, the moon pin still in his hand.

“You don't have to hide it from me, Arthur. I know that you were harmed by not one, not two... but three. The first, a demon that possessed you. The second, a kitsune that took away your arm to stop the first. And the third... a wraith, made from the anger of your friend for a deed you had no control over due to the first. Those scars must still hurt deeply in your heart.”

Arthur didn't say anything, for there is no point to. He can say he is gradually healing, but that is physically. He could only heal partially from the wounds that lie within his heart and mind because he drifted away from Tempo, and everyone and everything he knew by extension. He knew that this isn't the right way to heal, but it was the only way to do it without the risk of dying. Funny at how he was too much of a coward to end his own life.

He pulled his fist away and looked at the back of the moon pin to see the message of love and protection Elaine had left him.

Niniane sighed, “When you fainted, I had to look into your memories because I saw your expression. That's not a reaction one would have if they're having a seizure, or a sudden loss of blood sugar. What you had was _pure terror_. I had to look into your memory to see the cause, because I have seen people die in fear.”

“What?” He looked at her while trying to keep his beating heart under control.

“While I knew you lost your arm to a kitsune to stop a demon from possessing you, I didn't realize until after I saw the memory at how traumatic it was. First you get possessed, then you're forced to watch your friend die by 'your' hand, and after that the kitsune disguised as a dog takes away your arm. You have a fear of not just the one that saved you, but all of them in general. You thought you saw the one that saved you, that traumatized you, didn't you?”

He nodded while trying to process the fact that this woman _knows_. Knows about the numerous truths that he hadn't told Elaine yet. He hadn't told her that Lewis was killed and returned as a wraith out for unjust revenge without realizing it. He only told her that his friend got hurt as a result and never forgave him for it, which isn't too far from the truth itself. He never told her specifically that the wraith was the one who gave him most of those injuries, letting her assume that his friend did it.

Arthur couldn't bring himself to tell Elaine that he left because he didn't want to be in Lewis and Vivi's way. The wraith hated him back then, and the wraith still hated him now to this day. And Vivi... Vivi...

"The kitsune you saw earlier, Arthur," Niniane took a deep breath, “It was not the one who hurt you. You actually saw _me_. And before you ask,” she held up a hand to top him from talking when he whipped his head at her direction, “As I'm sure you know, all of the women here born in my bloodline except for Morgan can turn into a certain creature, primarily yokai, as a combative measure against the monsters we're destined to fight. In my case, I can turn into a kitsune. Had I known that the mere sight of my other form was enough for you to faint in fear, I would have changed back into a human sooner. I normally give my blessing to this family as a kitsune, so I can wish them protection and good fortune.”

She then bowed her head.

“I will not ask for your forgiveness, because this is my mistake. I looked through your memories without your permission in hopes of finding the solution to help you. I will not ask you to not fear me because a trauma like that is not something you can simply move on from. I understand that you're afraid of not only me, but all of the women in my family.”

She held a hand over her face, her expression full of sorrow.

“All I ask is that you do not hate me,” she gave a bow again, and turned to leave.

“Wait.”

Niniane stopped to look at Arthur, who stopped her as he stared out the window.

“ _I can't hate you_ , not after everything you and the family have done for me,” Arthur admitted, his grip on the moon pin relaxing, “It's true that I am afraid of you and everyone here. My mind knows that you won't hurt me, but my instincts are always telling me to run. I still have that issue even with Elaine whenever she transforms,” he then looked out the window, “The fact that her other form is a _skeleton_ can be really hard for me to take in at times.”

“It's because of your former friend, isn't it? The one who came back as a wraith, and haunts your nightmares even now? ...The one who hurt you?”

Arthur didn't reply.

“I will tell you now that I have no intention of telling anyone about what I know, or what I saw,” Niniane gently laid a thin hand against his left shoulder, “Just so you know, I did see your most recent nightmare.”

He went stiff, not daring to look at her. He was only barely able to escape with the twins and himself. It didn't matter if it wasn't real, he still did not want the wraith to take Gwen or the kitsune to take Percy.

“You should talk to Elaine about this. Tell her everything about the one that hurt you, where everything went wrong. Tell her that the wraith and your friend are one and the same. Wraith or not, it does not excuse his actions, especially since his anger is misdirected and unjustified. Even after learning the truth, he still hurt you, abused you, and that woman did nothing to stop him. You are as much a victim to it as they are, if not more.”

He clenched his teeth, who is she to judge.

Of course Vivi wouldn't stop the wraith, she didn't know it was happening back then. He didn't tell her. _Couldn't_ tell her. It was a rule since having him back made her so happy... He left when he couldn't handle the punishment of him being so weak. Life would've been so much easier had he just simply tried to forget the Mystery Skulls. Tried to forget _Vivi_. Tried to forget _Lewis_. Tried to forget _Mystery_. Tried to forget _**Tempo**_.

But as long as Gwen and Percy live, Arthur will never be able to forget.

It's the reason why he gave the twins their names, to remind him of the two he failed.

Upon hearing a thump behind him, Arthur finally turned to look back at Niniane, and in her place is a large white kitsune sitting by the left side of his bed, staring at him with her now gold colored eyes, the fox pendant hanging from her neck. Apprehension flowed through his back, and he tightened his hold on the moon pin. Taking a shaky breath while resisting the tears, he asked her.

_“Why are you doing this?”_

“I have been alive for many generations Arthur,” Niniane narrowed her eyes with empathy, “You have suffered for so long, and while I disagree with your method of coping, I still wish to help you.”

He started to lean away.

“I am going to place my snout against your left shoulder. I will not expose my teeth or my tongue. I am very sorry, Arthur, but this is the only way I can bless my protection to the family members that do not share my blood.”

Seeing that Arthur isn't trying to run, Niniane tapped her nose against the stump of his arm.

\- - - - - - -

After Arthur came back outside to the family reunion, he immediately felt eyes watching him. As soon as the feeling of shame bloomed, Elaine was immediately at his side. It didn't take any effort to convince her that it was time to go home. Once the family of four came home, night had already fallen, and the twins were soon asleep in their beds.

Arthur detached his arm, placed it on the short dresser like he always did, and proceeded to climb into his own bed for the night. He isn't looking forward to sleeping, but he's already feeling so _tired_.

Soon, Arthur went to sleep, with Elaine at his left side like she always did.

_He is in the moonlit forest again, but this time, the sunflowers that show the way home are blooming. He looked behind him, and there isn't anyone or anything to chase him down._

_With the newborn twins in his arms, Arthur walked through the path, not looking back._

_The sun began to rise._

In the morning, Arthur woke up, tears silently falling in relief.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _What? You find the nightmare odd again? Honestly, I think Arthur would rather be chased by a bear than those monsters. ...Oh? You find_ that _strange? Hmm... I wonder if we'll ever reach the truth._
> 
> Just what is Niniane, really?
> 
> I forgot to put this in the last chapter, but Melia's name is from Maleagant, a villain in the Arthurian legends. While Maleagant is male, an alternate spelling of his name is "Meliagant" or "Meliagaunt." Melia isn't a villain, but she is envious, or maybe even jealous, of Elaine (and Arthur) for having a son, when it was revealed in the last chapter that the Knights women only bore daughters until Percy was born. The Knights family has a strange bloodline, I tell you.


	8. You've Got My Soul On Fire Tonight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arthur spends time with Gwen and Percy like a good dad should. Sure, Arthur has made mistakes, but I'd say he's a great father.
> 
> At least he's better compared to _some_...

“Well, Gwen, your turn. What do you think?”

“It's... a loose fuse. We'll... need to replace that?”

“Very good. I'm proud of you.”

“What about me, Dad?”

“You'll have your turn at the next car, Percy,” Arthur resisted the urge to roll his eyes in amusement at Percy's annoyed pout.

Gwen has become much more confident in herself, and her speech impediment has dramatically improved thanks to attending multiple speech therapy classes. She loved maintaining cars alongside her father and has a knack for robotics and welding, often helping Arthur with the maintenance of his prosthetic arm. Her love on the color gray never waned, often wearing dark gray sweaters and skirts with black stockings and white shoes. Sometimes she would wear a white tee over the sweaters if she felt decorative, or white overalls over black shirts if she felt adventurous. She often wore her hair back with a white headband that contrasts well with her black hair. Occasionally, if she wanted to add some variety, she would add a blue ribbon or scarf, or a small blue circle pin that used to belong to Arthur so many years ago.

~~He isn't really sure why he kept it.~~

Percy had mellowed down on his tendency for pranks, instead focusing on how to use technology to go past its limit. He would find old computers at second hand stores with Arthur to find and pick apart so he can learn how they worked before building computers from scratch. He also has a knack for programming, and would often work with Arthur or his grandmother Caelia into writing or finding the best programs to get their online business running or handling the more recent car model that often have computer within them. His color preference is mixed, often going for a mix of yellow-orange or purple while wearing semi-formal clothing. He often preferred to wear pressed white shirts with a purple overcoat with a thin yellow scarf. Every now and then, he would wear a familiar skull pin that Arthur used to wear so long ago.

~~Why did he keep that one? He's no longer a part of it.~~

For Arthur, it's hard to believe that the twins are seven years old now, in the First grade in school, and here they are, within the private garage of Four of a Kind Queens, trying their hardest to make him proud by trying to identify parts or problems in car engines with him.

It made him feel like he isn't a failure as a father to his two little mechanics.

The new year has already started, and once the holidays were over, it was time for the Knights family to return to work, and school reopens. During the winter vacation, Arthur took the time to teach the twins about the repair work Four of a Kind Queens is known for, and would occasionally find broken toys or various damaged items to bring back and challenge them to see if they can fix them. Sometimes the twins are able to fix something, sometimes they can't, and that's perfectly fine.

“It's gonna be so boring when we go back to school,” Percy groaned, “The teacher there don't make it anywhere as fun as you do, Dad. I mean, everything in class is just so easy, it's boring! It's all stuff you've already showed us to do!”

Arthur rose a brow, recalling that Percy is often considered a troublemaker in the classroom. Whether it's drawing in class or fidgeting in his seat, Arthur noticed that if Percy isn't doing something to keep himself occupied, he gets antsy. He thought back to seeing Percy's report card along with Gwen's, and both have solids As on all subjects, except for the notes from their teacher saying they're too antsy at times, Percy more often than Gwen.

Maybe he should talk to Elaine about this later, maybe see if they can be moved to a class that will challenge them. Although...

“You know, Percy, in that sentence, it's 'The teacher there _doesn't_ make it anywhere as fun,'” Arthur grinned, “Want to look at the next car? Last one for today, and it's your turn now.”

“Finally!”

“Percy, my car only took like five minutes!” Gwen protested.

Arthur turned away from the twins for a moment to conceal his lips twitching with laughter. It definitely felt strange at first whenever the twins argue over something like this, but he supposed it could've been worse.

“No way, it felt like _hours!_ ”

A wave of heat suddenly passed through Arthur, disorienting him. The section of his left arm where metal met flesh felt warm, nearly hot. He turned, and nearly froze at what he saw in front of him.

...A large golden-colored fox? Why are there little white flames floating around--?

_The fangs sinking into his arm._

Arthur managed to suppress most of the fear, but then he felt light-headed, and before he knew it, the world was spinning as his vision blurred from the heat. He held a hand against his head, trying to regain focus.

_Why does it feel so hot? Why can't he move his left arm?_

“Dad?!”

“Daddy?!”

The voices of Gwen and Percy crying out were the last he heard before everything went black.

\- - - - - - -

_Arthur knew that he isn't wanted here._

_Some of the Deadbeats would occasionally try to spook him every now and then, but over time he hardly reacted to them due to his own self-loathing._

_The punishment from the wraith was painful this time, too. Two separate burns that resembled a handprint on his right forearm and left shoulder. He always spoke politely whenever Vivi was around, but as soon as she left and the two were alone..._

_He bit his lip, finally letting the fact sink in his brain with a heavy heart that this haunted manor that Lewis had conjured for them, isn't his home._

_It's the home of Vivi, Lewis, and Mystery. This is the home of the Mystery Skulls._

_Not Arthur's._

_He glanced up at the hallway of the manor, then turned away to head back to the room that Arthur had claimed as a workshop and bedroom of sorts. Of course, he had to pass through the hallway that had those six painting ghosts, but while the Lawyer often spat out words that basically told Arthur to jump off that cliff in the cave and die like the vermin he is, the other paintings silently watched him pass. If Arthur hadn't known any better, he could've sworn that he saw the Woman, the Wrestler, and even the Priest give him what seemed to be a look of pity._

_...As if._

_Arthur entered the room that he had claimed, or rather, was designated as his by the wraith, which he figured was the room farthest away from Vivi's, and wrapped his fingers around the handle of his backpack. Before he realized it, he was packing some clean clothes as if he was going to be gone for a week when in reality he would only be gone for the day. There isn't really much in here to be honest, when most of his possessions are still at Kingsmen Mechanics._

_He didn't want to be here._

_He couldn't tell Vivi about the wraith punishing him when she was so happy to have everyone back together again. She is the one that kept things from falling apart the first time, and she intends to let it stick after getting Lewis back._

_He couldn't be here._

_He thought about it, and once mentioned to Vivi and Lewis that he should probably leave the Mystery Skulls._

“Wait, what?”

_Why did this have to happen..._

“If you're not happy here, then just _leave!_ ”

_That... didn't turn out as well as he thought it would. The handprint burns he received from the wraith after Vivi and Mystery left, the former in tears, after their argument can attest to that. He looked at his hands, and narrowed his eyes in disgust at the metal that make up his left arm. The arm that fell to the demon's control, the arm that caused everything to go wrong, the arm that took away Lewis's life._

_Why?_

_Why did this have to happen?_

_He thought that with the truth revealed to everyone a few weeks ago, after the wraith nearly accomplished mission he was so hellbent on achieving, things would go back to normal._

_But after today, Arthur knew that it isn't meant to be._

_Gritting his teeth a little to keep himself from breaking down, Arthur proceeded to finish packing all the clothes and tools he knew he will need. If the others here needed any of his tools while he's gone, then... well, that's their problem._

_His phone vibrated, and he went to check it, it showed that he received a text from Uncle Lance saying that he is on his way to pick him up. Uncle Lance had sent him a text earlier today that asked him to come help at Kingsmen Mechanics for a week if he could. Arthur frowned slightly, thinking about it somewhat, then sent a reply saying that he will work the hours._

_He donned his long-sleeved orange jacket to hide the wounds, grabbed his backpack, and left the room. He ignored the paintings and the Deadbeats, and walked towards the main front door of the manor._

“ _Arthur? Where are you going?”_

_Arthur nearly froze, then slowly turned to see Vivi walking towards him, concern on her face._

“ _Arthur, if it's about earlier, please, I don't want-”_

“ _Uncle Lance needs me to help him at the shop for about a week,” Arthur spoke over her, “If all goes well, I should be back by next Thursday.”_

_Saying it, he isn't so sure. This isn't his home, after all._

_Vivi looked hurt, which made Arthur's chest tighten with guilt. She didn't deserve this, she didn't deserve to have her life ruined by him any more than it already has. She had already lost Lewis once, lost a good portion of her memory involving him, and just now she has Lewis back in her life, slowly falling in love with him again._

_She held the Mystery Skulls together, better than he could._

“ _Arthur, you don't need to leave,” Vivi reached out to him, “We can talk this out. I'm so sorry you're feeling like this. If there's anything I can do, please tell me. I just want everything to go back the way it once was.”_

_Arthur stepped away from her, not daring to invoke the wraith's wrath. The wraith didn't like it when Arthur had physical contact with Vivi, even if she was the one to reach out._

“ _Vivi?”_

_Dread went through Arthur's body like lightning, and he struggled to keep a straight face as he saw Lewis in his human form approach while being followed by Mystery. To Arthur's surprise, Lewis actually looked... concerned?_

“ _What's going on?”_

_Arthur's phone buzzed, which he quickly checked and saw a text from Uncle Lance saying that he has arrived, thankful for the opportunity to escape, he turned to the front door. For some reason, Lewis looked genuinely concerned, with no trace of malice whatsoever._

_He figured the wraith is just really good at acting as Lewis._

_But Lewis, the kind and caring friend Arthur had known before everything went wrong, is long gone._

“ _I have to get going, Uncle Lance is here,” he turned to the front door, “I'll let you know when I'm done helping at the shop.”_

_A lie. He is not coming back here._

_She tried to reach out, “Arthur, you don't need to leave, we can talk this out. We just--”_

_Arthur opened the door leading outside._

_Lewis, still acting concerned, tried to reach out, “Arthur--!”_

_Vivi pleaded with him, “Please...”_

“ _ **Don't go!”**_

 _He stepped away from Lewis's hand and walked out. He didn't bother listening to them anymore as he shut the door behind him. He spotted Uncle Lance's truck on the front yard and jogged towards it, ignoring the noise in the manor behind him. Wait. Now that he thought about it, how_ did _his uncle come out here so quickly?_

_He didn't care, he's just happy to get out of this hell. He knew that he deserved all the punishment for being the cause of Lewis's death, but it didn't mean that he wanted it. He isn't looking forward to going back there in a week, because some of the bruises still hurt when he moves his arms in a certain way. It still hurt for his arm to reach up higher than his head._

_Arthur got into the truck, trying to ignore the look of concern on his uncle's face, only acknowledging the latter's quiet greeting with a weak nod._

_...Now he just needs to find a way to hide the injuries and scars from Uncle Lance while he's working._

\- - - - - - -

Something roused Arthur from the memory of the last time he saw the Mystery Skulls.

The first thing that came to him was muffled sound, he could faintly hear the panicked cries and howls of a familiar voice while another voice tried to sound comforting. The sensation of touch then returned to him, the heat still permeating through his body, but he felt something cool on his forehead. Arthur waited for his senses to come back, and he started to try moving his fingers. His right hand obeyed, but he didn't sense any movement from his left.

Right... if he fell unconscious, then it's only natural that someone would take off his left arm. He would've had nightmares had he kept it on, and Elaine knew that.

What exactly happened again? He tried to remember. He recalled giving Gwen and Percy opportunities to look at some cars he was repairing for customers to see if they can find what's wrong with them. It was a way to bond with them, while at the same time teach them the civilian family trade.

Despite some senses returning to him, Arthur still felt numb. He could barely move his fingers, and suddenly the sense of smell returned. He thought he smelled something cooking, but couldn't quite recognize the scent as it was too faint to tell. Was it close to dinner time? He really wanted to move to help Elaine with the meal prep. It was one of the few slow activities he truly enjoyed doing with her outside of robotics.

Arthur struggled to open his eyes, and eventually did so after some time. As his vision became clear, he realized that he is in his bedroom. He didn't recall going to bed, though. Was he that tired? He looked around, and saw that Elaine isn't in the bed beside him. He then glanced at the clock on the nightstand to his right and saw that the time was past four in the afternoon. If he recalled correctly, the time was around...

Eleven in the morning?!

He tried to sit up, and found that it took great effort to do so, especially since he only has his right arm to work with. He decided to take it slow to keep a head rush from occurring, and noticed a slightly damp washcloth falling off from his forehead. He noticed that he could move his legs, so he slowly scooted himself back against the bed frame to get into a sitting position.

Where's Gwen and Percy?

“Arthur.”

He heard the jubilant tone of Elaine's voice, and when he turned to look at the door, he saw her looking relieved as she approached.

“You're finally awake,” she breathed a laugh of relief and embraced him, “I'm so glad. How are you feeling?”

Arthur returned the hug with his only arm, “A little disoriented, but I'm all right. Do you have any idea what happened? The last thing I remember is teaching the twins in the shop, and then suddenly it was so hot.”

Elaine grimaced as she let go, “Uh... about that. Do you remember when I told you that in my family bloodline, our power usually awakens once we reach the age of ten?”

He nodded.

“Well, Percy... somehow got his powers early. We didn't think he'd be capable of getting it,” Elaine sighed with concern and turned to look at the door leading outside their bedroom, “The heat you felt was foxfire, and it nearly... well...”

Percy's power? His full attention focused on Elaine, Arthur grabbed her shoulder, “What happened? Is Percy okay?”

Elaine looked uneasy before answering, “From what we were able to gather according to Mama Vivienne and Nana Niniane, Percy's foxfire is a lot stronger than most other types. He didn't know how to control it since it emerged while you guys were at Queens. When he got impatient, he transformed into a kitsune, and the foxfire went out of control, and you got caught in the crossfire.

“If it hadn't been for the protections Nana Niniane and I gave you, the foxfire would have most likely killed you.”

Arthur's heart stopped. He almost _died?_ Wait! That's not important!

“Where's Percy now?”

Elaine looked down with a solemn expression, “He's... having trouble changing back. He's locked himself in his room and hasn't come out. Not even Gwen can get through to him. He's upset that he hurt you since the foxfire fried the circuits in your arm, and... he knows that you're afraid of kitsune.”

Arthur looked at the stump that made up his left arm. Yes, a kitsune did do this to him, even if it was to save him, but the trauma was too great for him to ignore. It taught him at just what a kitsune is capable of doing, and it taught him to fear it. Yet... he only met two other kitsune besides Mystery, the one who saved and traumatized him at the same time.

The first being Niniane. Even though she knew that Arthur is afraid of her other form, she still helped him by blessing him with protection. It wasn't enough to stop all the nightmares or sad memories that plague him, or stop all of the possible harm one could get, but it was enough for Arthur to know that Niniane cared about him. It was enough for his life to be saved from an accidental death.

The second now being Percy, if his other form is a kitsune, then he is also capable of causing so much damage and pain and suffering. Unlike Mystery or Niniane, Percy is just a young boy at seven years of age. To Arthur, it would make sense if his son had no idea how to control his power if it just came to be.

Elaine said that Percy is distraught at almost killing him by accident.

_Just like Arthur was when the demon forced him to kill Lewis._

… **No!**

He is _not_ having this. He _knew_ it was an accident. He _knew_ that Percy didn't want to hurt him on purpose. He _knows_ better than to assume otherwise.

He is _not_ the wraith. He will _not_ make the same mistake!

Arthur started to get off the bed, ignoring Elaine's small protest. He saw that he is dressed in his sleep wear, so he decided not to bother with changing clothes (Elaine probably did it while he was unconscious). He thought about getting the previous model of his prosthetic that he kept in the lowest dresser as a spare, but thought better of it. It wouldn't do anyone favors if Percy were to fry the circuits of his spare arm.

“Where's Gwen?” He looked at his wife.

Elaine blinked before pointing at the exit, “She's staying with Percy outside their bedroom door. Somehow, she wasn't affected by the foxfire. I don't think she's getting through to him.”

Arthur nodded, and once he got his bearings, he left the bedroom and walked over to the door that lead to the twin's bedroom, spotting Gwen sitting against the front door, her head into her knees. Gwen looked at him in surprise and relief, and Arthur can tell with a heavy heart that she is crying. He could hear his son crying from within their bedroom.

“Daddy...”

“I'm okay, Gwen,” he proceeded to knock on the door, “Percy?”

“Dad?!” He heard footsteps that rushed to the door before stopping, “You... You're okay?”

“I am, Percy. Will you let me in?”

“N-No!”

Arthur smiled sadly, “Why not? Am I not allowed to see my own son?”

There was silence until Arthur heard a click from the door. Hearing this, Gwen immediately made a grab for the door and went inside, crying out her brother's name. Arthur let Gwen go after her brother as he noticed Elaine walk up to him, nodding at her, he then looked in the twins' bedroom and came across an interesting sight. Huddled near the corner is a large gold colored fox with a single long tail and a white underbelly. On the fox's fave, a white spot is marked above and between its pale blue eyes.

It didn't take a genius for Arthur to know that the fox is his son, since Gwen is beside him rubbing the fox's head. He should have felt fear, but instead, he only felt concern and love for his son. He slowly approached, only smiling sadly when he saw the fox flinch at the sight of him.

“G-Go away! Don't look at me! I _hurt_ you! You fell asleep and wouldn't wake up! I couldn't stop the fire, I--”

Arthur cut him off by kneeling beside him and wrapping his arm around Percy's neck and holding his head to his shoulder, the closest to a hug he could give with his one arm. Gwen, seeing the opportunity, hugged her brother with both her arms, “I forgive you.”

“...Dad? But... you hate foxes! Mom said that foxes scare you! Why are--”

“How can I hate you or be afraid of you when you're just a big and fluffy puppy?”

He heard Elaine give a snort. Percy tried to somewhat wrestle away from his embrace, but Arthur isn't willing to let go.

“Did you want that to happen?” Arthur asked, moving his hand to the back of Percy's head.

“N-No! I didn't want to be a fox! I didn't want this to happen! I didn't want to hurt you or scare you or--!”

Words weren't going to get through to the distraught mindset his son has now. He held his son's head closer to himself slightly and closed his eyes. He started to hum the song that plagued his heart and soul.

_This time I might just disappear..._

_Whoa-o-o-oh_

_This time I might just dis-_

His heart still ached when he hummed this lullaby, especially since it reminded him of the past he swore to leave behind.

_Oh mo mo mo mo_

_Oh mo mo mo mo (Oh yeah)_

_Oh mo mo mo mo oh_

But that old heartache is nothing compared to what his son must be feeling now. He felt Percy shift slightly beneath his grip. He felt his daughter's hand on his right side.

_This time I might just disappear..._

_Whoa-o-o-oh_

_This time I might just dis-_

No matter what, Arthur will endure the pain, the painful memories, the nightmares this lullaby will bring him later tonight, all for the sake of these two children. He will live for their sake alone.

_Oh mo mo mo mo_

_Oh mo mo mo mo (Oh yeah)_

_Oh mo mo mo mo oh_

Once the lullaby concluded, Arthur noticed that Percy felt lighter. Opening his eyes, he saw Percy back in his normal human form, clinging to him while crying. Elaine is nearby to Arthur's left with one hand on Percy's shoulder, another hand on Arthur's left. Gwen is still holding on to Percy and himself on his right. Arthur wished he had his spare arm attached. It would've made a good group hug.

But if there is one thing Arthur knows for a fact, is that he will not abuse his son for doing something outside his control like the wraith had done to him for the exact same reason. He has loved and accepted Percy since the day he was born, and accepted that there will be obstacles to overcome once his power awoke, and knew that the same will apply to Gwen once her power emerges as well.

He still fears the kitsune in general, but he will never fear his son. And if by some chance Gwen becomes a kitsune herself, then he will continue to love and accept her as a father should.

The four remained together until it was time to eat their dinner.

Arthur briefly wondered with Elaine when Gwen's power will surface, but for now, he will continue to comfort Percy until the boy has it in his head that Arthur has forgiven him.

The two ended up getting their answer four days later when they discovered the twins' bedroom covered in snow during that morning. Percy is awake and shivering, while Gwen slept without a care in the world, her skin as pale as the snow.

Well... at least it wasn't as disastrous, until Elaine realized with a groan that they'll have to replace everything in the bedroom from the furniture to the carpet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Why didn't Mystery do anything to stop him?_
> 
> _Is it just me, or did something about all this seem off to you?_
> 
> So Percy is a kitsune with a single tail so far to signify his young age, while Gwen is a Yuki-onna? Their powers emerged earlier than expected according to Elaine. At least Arthur didn't get too badly hurt thanks to the protection blessings. Sure, Elaine and her family probably could've blessed the house with multiple protections to prevent accidents like that from happening, but if they did that, then it most likely would've resulted in more harm than good. I heard that too much magic can interfere with machines and whatnot.
> 
> Oh, and once again, I forgot to add two more name origins in the last chapter. Elaine's mother, Caelia, is named after the character from the poem _The Faerie Queene._ I'm not completely sure if the poem is connected to the Arthurian legends itself, but Arthur of the Round Table does appear in it, so it still fits. To those curious on how to pronounce Caelia's name, it's an alternate spelling of the name Celia. So... her name is pronounced "See-Lee-Uh" and you say it fast.
> 
> Elaine's cousin Eleanor, is a different story. She's named after Eleanor of Aquitaine, a real queen consort who lived during the 1100s. There were a few sources that said that she was captivated by the romantic legend of King Arthur, but this may or may not be true. Eleanor Knights was originally supposed to be Elaine's older sister, which is why she has a similar name, but while writing the drafts for Knights, I decided to make her Morgan's daughter instead of Caelia's. Eleanor is still older than Elaine by a few years, though.
> 
> ...I should probably post the family tree at some point.
> 
> As for Lewis's mansion having six painting ghosts instead of four, if you look closely at that scene in the Ghost video, you can actually see two more paintings that lack detail in the background. It's explicitly stated by MysteryBen that he didn't animate those two in detail because "oh man animating 4 unique characters for one scene, in addition to the main 3, is a BIT MUCH SO I GOT LAZY :V"
> 
> ...Smooth, Ben.


	9. No Problems Now, Just Rearranging

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another big step for Arthur and Elaine comes up, but since they have experience, they know they'll be fine.
> 
> Also, I found out that I can insert images here through Imgur, so once I finish drawing them, I'll start inserting scenes from Knights among the chapters. I've already put one image for Chapter 4, so feel free to check that out. I have a sketch-like style for most of my drawings, so I hope it looks nice!
> 
> I wonder if there's a way to make the images more mobile friendly... **(EDIT June 17, 2019: Found it.)**
> 
> Edit: Added a picture and fixed some minor inconsistencies.

Arthur couldn't help but feel concerned for Elaine.

It's close to mid-March now, and the Spring season is just starting. Elaine had not been feeling as energetic as she usually is since the month began.

She brushed it off at first as stress from the job as a mechanic at Four of a Kind Queens or from her job as a monster hunter. She found that she didn't have a fever, but her occasional moments of nausea while working proved to be concerning. However, after eating some crackers, it was enough to cure her ailment temporarily. She only vomited once, and quickly blamed it on bad food, which made her mother Caelia mildly indignant on that her cooking only did that to Elaine and not to Caelia herself, Arthur, or the twins.

Arthur had finally convinced her to go to a doctor for a checkup, promising that if she came back with the results showing that she is healthy and stable, he would treat her to a romantic evening. Elaine immediately threw whatever weekend plans she had out the window, and on the day of the appointment, had the twins stay with Caelia for the weekend, who wanted to spend some time with her grandchildren. Sometimes Arthur forgets that Elaine really likes having some alone time with him in more ways than one, so he couldn't refuse when she asked for a romantic  _weekend_  with a big grin on her face.

He'd be lying to himself if he didn't want this.

Arthur thought about going to a movie theater on one evening, but there weren't any showings that would interest them, so he scratched that off the list. He had already booked a reservation at the Adagio Inn, a hotel and restaurant that couples are known to frequent, which was the original evening in question. He soon rose a brow at the list he was writing. What else could he add as an activity for the weekend? An impromptu trip somewhere near Cantabile? They wouldn't have to stay at a hotel if they do that.

He eventually decided to wait until Elaine came back and actually discuss it with her. It's only fair that she decides an activity, too.

…

He thinks it's kind of strange, to be honest.

Even though it's only been about thirteen years now, with him nearing the age of thirty-five, Arthur felt... free. Free and safe. Free and safe from the ones that hurt him in the past, finding a new life for himself, getting married to an amazing woman, fathering twin children, raising and loving said twins, slowly and steadily healing from his trauma, gradually becoming more brave against the paranormal, and here he is planning a weekend with just him and the woman he loved.

To think all of that happened because he decided to leave on  _impulse_.

The only one he missed from his life in Tempo is his uncle. While Arthur still made sure to send letters to Kingsmen Mechanics, a part of him did wish he would get a reply from Uncle Lance, even though he was the one who made the system of not having a return address. Every once in a great while, he would check on the status of the repair shop by browsing the website it has, and when he checked it last week, the shop is still standing and going strong under Uncle Lance's name.

That meant Uncle Lance is doing fine without him, right?

Arthur made a note to himself to send another letter to his uncle. He still stood by the decision to never mention his marriage to Elaine or the existence of Gwen and Percy, who are now ten years old, in his letters, but he would write about how happy he is with the people he is with now. He would write at how he is fine and is still healing, and would always end the letter with the request not to look for him. He then thought about it, and figured he should leave that last part out for once.

...Did that mean that he is  _considering_  on calling his uncle?

Maybe he  _should_ , but not now, it'll have to wait. If he's going to be set up with disappointment, he'll want it after his weekend with Elaine, so he won't ruin the mood.

About four hours later, Elaine returned with a file folder in her hand, her expression looking conflicted while in a daze.

That quickly got Arthur's attention, “Elaine? Is everything all right?”

Elaine didn't answer at first, still staring at the file in her hand, then looked away and held it out to him, “Nothing's wrong with me.”

Arthur rose a brow in concern as he took the file and started to read the contents inside. It showed a variety of tests done to find a diagnosis, most of them being negative until he reached one line that said it was positive. His eyes widened before looking up at her, “Wait, you're really...?”

“The doctor's guess is that I'm about ten weeks pregnant,” Elaine sighed before smiling a little, her brow furrowed slightly, “I really screwed up, didn't I? Because I didn't have the typical morning sickness, and that I often have difficulty conceiving, I didn't think my symptoms were linked to pregnancy.”

He processed her words before doing a double take, then asking suspiciously as he set the file on the counter, “...What do you mean by 'screwing up'?”

Elaine winced, “I just figured you wouldn't want another-- Mmph--?!”

“Finish that sentence and I won't forgive you for assuming that,” Arthur said after kissing her, wrapping his arms around her tightly before laughing, “I'm  _thrilled_ , Elaine. I'm thrilled you're  _okay_. I'm thrilled with  _this_.”

“You're okay with us having another child?” she asked and hugged him back, “Even though this one isn't planned?”

Arthur chuckled, “Gwen and Percy weren't exactly planned, either, remember?”

Finally, Elaine was laughing along, “True. You're definitely taking this a lot better that I thought you would. Back then, I remember you being so unsure of yourself when we found out we were having the twins.”

He wouldn't deny that, back when he was still unsure of everything.

\- - - - - - -

“ _...What?”_

_Arthur went stiff._

“ _The doctor said that I'm about eight weeks along, which matches up with our, uh, heh heh,” Elaine chuckled with flushed cheeks and a nervous yet excited disposition. Her hands curled into fists, rubbing against each other, a habit she has when unsure or nervous._

_All thoughts went out the window, his mind became completely blank._

_She smiled and scratched at her cheek with a finger, “I-I seriously didn't think it would be_ possible _, since, well, I've been told by other doctors that I wouldn't be able to have children.”_

_Arthur was fortunate that he was already sitting down with Elaine when she told him the news._

_Elaine discovered that she is pregnant._

_He never thought he would feel such_ terror _compared to what the wraith had put him through. Him? A father? How would he be able to raise a child? He hardly knew how to take care of himself!_

 _What... What had he_ done?

“ _Arthur? Are you... not happy with this?”_

“ _N-No! I...!” he ran his fingers through his hair, “I-I-I just...! I just...” he let out a deep breath he didn't realize he had, “I need time to wrap my head around this. Please.”_

_Elaine looked conflicted, her brow furrowed with sadness before putting up a slight smile despite the uneasiness, “All right. We'll talk about this later. I'll go call Mom and Dad to tell them about the baby. Okay?”_

_Arthur noticed that she took his initial reaction pretty hard._

_Under any other circumstance, while the thought of having a child_ would've _excited him, he remembered Lewis wanting to have a family. But with him dead by his hand – demon or not – that wish became impossible to achieve. The wraith hated Arthur for taking away his life, his wishes, his future._ That _the wraith had made clear to him. And now, Arthur will have something the wraith will want for himself._

_And if the wraith or the Mystery Skulls or anyone from Tempo were to find him after this..._

_He couldn't finish the thought as he stood up and went into the workshop near his room. He could've sworn he heard Elaine cry a little, which only made him feel worse than he already is._

_When he approached the work desk, Arthur started to add modifications to the next model of his prosthetic arm in an attempt to take his mind off the fact that Elaine is pregnant, with_ his _child no less, but his mind kept drifting back to the subject, and then to the night that led to this in the first place. He and Elaine have only been married for five months now. Even before that, Arthur always felt reluctant to even lay a hand on her, knowing that he doesn't deserve it. She gradually coaxed him into believing he did._

_He remembered her placing a skeletal hand over his cheek as she asked him the same question, a reluctant smile framing her fully fleshed face._

“You're not scared of me, are you?”

“ _N-No, I'm not,” he muttered to himself when he recalled that night, “Because it's you.”_

 _His own parents had failed him, and he never had any good memories to say about them even before their divorce due to the neglect. He feared that he wouldn't be a good father. Even though he loved Elaine, he knew that he wouldn't be a good husband for her in the long run. And yet here he is, married, and a father to be? Elaine, carrying a child sired by_ him?

_...What would their child be like?_

_Arthur smacked his flesh hand against his head to stop that thought. He knew that the child has nothing to do with his internal debate and tried to shove the thought aside. He soon resumed work and kept adding modifications on the next arm model until he heard a knock on the door._

“ _Arthur? It's Caelia. May I come in?”_

 _He looked at the clock on the desk. It's been four hours? Elaine must be really upset if she hadn't come to talk to him after revealing the news. If her mother is here, he didn't doubt that she will heavily scold him for his reaction. With a breath of resignation, he gave Caelia permission to open the door before picking up from where he left off on the arm. He heard Caelia opening the door and closing it behind her, but didn't hear her say anything. At this point, Arthur_ knew _she was staring at him with disapproval._

_He wouldn't blame her it, since even he felt that his reaction to the news was a bad response. He didn't dare look, instead keeping his back turned to her._

“ _Well?” He gave a small huff of resignation, a smile that did not show a hint of happiness forming, “Are you here to tell me that I'm pathetic?”_

“What? _Arthur, what on Earth are you talking about?” Caelia sounded offended, “I didn't come here to talk down on you, I'm only here because I need your help at Queens.”_

_Confusion reached into Arthur's features. Did she not know? He recalled Elaine saying that she would tell her parents about her pregnancy, unless her being upset prevented that? He thought about telling her himself, but he didn't want to rob Elaine of that._

_Still... it didn't change the fact that he felt horrible._

_He agreed to go with Caelia so he can help her on whatever it is she needed. As far as he knew, it's probably an obscure car part or even the machines in the shop itself that needed repair. She's asked him for his help on those before, even though he's pretty sure she's capable of doing them by herself most of the time._

_He isn't sure what to feel worse about._

_When the two of them reached Four of a Kind Queens, Caelia guided Arthur to her office, full of organized paperwork and two computers on an L-shaped desk tucked against a corner. She pulled out a file and laid out the contents for him to see. He rose a brow as he read the top page that was marked with red ink. The really old van that belonged to that PE teacher that teaches at the nearby middle school is done and ready to be crunched, for there is no salvaging it this time after so many half-successful attempts. Arthur knew for a fact that Caelia didn't need his help on this. Which meant that what Caelia is really doing is that she wanted to talk to him privately about something else._

“ _By the way, I heard the news from Elaine. Congratulations,” Caelia smiled and made a welcoming gesture at the chair for guests in front of her desk, which Arthur followed, “You really have no idea how much I'm looking forward to being a grandmother.”_

 _Him? Fathering a child? What was he thinking?! He thought they were careful... He has no right to be a_  father! _He has no right to be_ married! _He has no right to be hap--_

“ _You seem unhappy about it, though. Is something on your mind?”_

_He didn't try to make a rebuttal against that. He is unhappy, but it's more directed at himself and not to Elaine or the child she now carries. After Lewis's death at his hand, possessed or not, Arthur knew that the hatred and punishments he received from the wraith were well deserved. He doesn't deserve this life with the Knights family. He didn't deserve loving and marrying Elaine. He didn't deserve having a family bearing his bloodline. Despite this, Arthur still craved for the kindness Elaine, and her immediate family, had given him. He craved for love and companionship, for kindness and for family._

I don't deserve this...

“ _What do you mean when you say you don't deserve it?” Caelia placed her hands against her hips and rose a brow at him in disbelief._

_Arthur's throat constricted when he realized that he had said it out loud enough for his mother-in-law to hear. He huddled closer to himself, his hands shaking. His prosthetic hand gripping at his shoulder, the shoulder where the wraith would placed a burning hand whenever he thought Arthur would “misbehave.”_

“ _Wait, this isn't from the time you were abused, is it?”_

 _Arthur twitched before he could stop himself, which gave Caelia the answer she needed. Like Elaine and her mother Vivienne, she also knew about the injuries he received back in Tempo. The cuts, the bruises, the_ burns _. He hated seeing the look of pity from her. He knew he didn't deserve anything from her or Elaine, yet..._

“ _I see,” she walked over to him with a smile, and to his surprise, held him close, like a mother would to her child, “I could say so many things to you, but you would probably think that they're not true. I will say this:_ We love you, Arthur. _We know there are so many things about your past that you haven't told us about, and you probably never will, and that's_ fine _. You've already proven to us that you're a good person, enough that even my mother has grown to love you as a grandson before even marrying into our family. That is an achievement I have never seen anyone else do, not even Tom was able to accomplish that.”_

_Arthur isn't sure what to think of this. Yes, he knows that he loves Elaine, and that he came to care for her immediate relatives. Caelia and her husband Thomas (or Tom, as he's commonly called) were skeptical of Arthur at first, but soon they came to care about him as a friend until he became their son-in-law by marrying their daughter. Besides his uncle, Elaine's parents gave him what could be parental affection, the closest he could get after leaving Tempo._

“ _I never did get along with my parents when I was growing up. They usually fought, so I often had to go to my uncle whenever I needed support,” Arthur suddenly confessed, holding up his good arm to grasp at Caelia's while still in her hold, “When I turned eighteen, they went through a really nasty divorce. It got so bad that I went to live with my uncle.”_

_Caelia slowly let him go, giving him space. When Arthur looked up, she gave him a nod to let him continue._

“ _I'm just afraid that I might do the same thing my parents did,” he looked away from Caelia and found a certificate on the wall that suddenly seemed interesting, “I don't even know how to be a father. What if I screw up? What if I fail Elaine? What if I--”_

“ _The fact that you're conscious about it means that you're already on the path of being a good father, Arthur,” Caelia cut him off as she spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, “I won't ask how exactly your parents raised you, but regardless, you turned out well despite it. As for all the crap your parents did? Well, then use that as an example of what_ not _to do as a parent. And regarding your abuser? If they said that you don't deserve to be happy, or you don't deserve to have a family? Then they can go fuck themselves."_

_Arthur did a double take with a raised brow. Caelia isn't exactly one to cuss, that's usually more of Morgan's thing._

_"They're not in your life anymore, so whatever lies they told you isn't worth your time. I say you deserve happiness, and so will the rest of my family. And besides, back on topic, you're not raising your child all by yourself. You have my daughter helping you, and of course me, and the rest of the family,” she placed a hand on his shoulder, “If it makes you feel better, Tom was exactly like you when I was pregnant with Elaine, and he turned out to be a great daddy for her despite his fears at first. Just do the best you can, and if you ever need help, you call me. It's my role as your mother-in-law, and as a grandmother for your and Elaine's child.”_

“ _But if I make a mistake--”_

“ _Of course you're going to make mistakes, Arthur,” Caelia gave him a look that told him it was obvious, “This is your first child, and the same will apply to Elaine. She'll be making mistakes herself since this is her first, too. You don't become super parents at day one, you'll learn in due time. Again, that's what I'm here for, and as hot-headed as my sister can be, Morgan can also give you some tips when I'm not available. You'll make a great dad for them, I'm sure of it.”_

“ _How do you know if I'll be a good father for them?”_

“ _You don't, Arthur. But_ wanting _to be one is a good start.”_

_For some reason, Arthur felt a weight fall off from his shoulders. Not all of the weight, of course, but he did feel a little more at ease. He is still nervous about being a father, being a person that may or not deserve to live, but Caelia's words made him realize that maybe he isn't a massive screw up. That he actually deserves to have a family of his own. That what the wraith had told him is not true._

_He isn't completely sure, but he does know that he wants this family._

_He needed to talk to Elaine._

\- - - - - - -

“Well, I think the kids have accepted it, Elaine. Sometime in October, there will be a new member of the family.”

“That's because we gave them the whole weekend for them to freak out about it,” Elaine deadpanned before sipping her water, “It's a good thing I left them to Mom, I don't know how she does it.”

Sure, Elaine's surprise pregnancy did throw a wrench into some of their plans, but Arthur knew not to let it ruin everything. He still took her to the Adagio, although he had to exclude the wine list. He doesn't really care for alcoholic drinks, but he sometimes samples them with Elaine, who does enjoy a good drink every now and then. With her being pregnant, though, they had to remove that from the table.

A week later, Elaine had to leave any monster hunting to her mother, aunt, and cousin. It bothered her that she wouldn't be able to do her family's legacy for the time being, but working at Four of a Kind Queens gave her something to do. Although she will have to stop doing that as well once she's far enough in her condition.

As the weeks gradually passed, Arthur and Elaine started to move some things around in their bedroom to make room for a crib. They decided to use the same system they did when raising the twins, which also relieved Gwen and Percy any possible worries that the upcoming baby would be rooming with one of them for the time being. More weeks passed, and soon Elaine's parents and aunt were helping with the preparation for the upcoming child.

“Daddy?” Arthur looked up from his work bench at the private fifth garage at Four of a Kind Queens, and saw his daughter Gwen standing near him while gently clinging to his sleeve, looking unsure of herself, “When will the new baby be here?”

“Some time in October, Gwen,” Arthur turned away from the new crib he was constructing to properly face her, and noticed that some frost was beginning to form around her fingers, “So what brings you here? Are you having trouble with your ice power again?”

“New babies are really tiny, aren't they?” He noticed that Gwen ignored his last statement, “I heard during Health that they'll need lots of attention.”

“That they do, they can't do much on their own.”

Gwen suddenly came up and hugged him, catching him off guard. Even though her hands were icy cold, Arthur didn't feel the chill due to the moon pin's protective properties, letting him hold his daughter even when she has trouble controlling her power. If she's exhibiting this much ice, then Arthur knew that she's feeling down. But why?

“Daddy, when the new baby comes, will you still love me?”

Arthur smiled, holding her closer.

“Of course, both your mother and I will keep loving you and Percy even after the baby is born,” he said, rubbing his hand across Gwen's back, “We'll have to give the baby a lot of attention, but we won't ever abandon you two. Are you looking forward to being a big sister?”

Gwen nodded against his shoulder, the frost slowly melting from her fingers.

A few more weeks passed, and his and Elaine's bedroom already has the items needed to prepare for the new family member. Elaine had reached the stage where she started having her strange cravings at five months, and to his surprise, actually had a craving for Surf's Up Surprise pizza. Under normal circumstances, ordering it would be impossible since the pizza in question is a local specialty in Tempo. Thankfully, Caelia somehow learned how to make her own version of the pizza years ago when Arthur told her about it, and soon the dish became a family favorite despite the infamous smell.

“Hey, Dad?”

Arthur looked up from the car he was working on to see his son nearby.

“Mom's wanting another pizza again.”

“Seriously? It hasn't even been two days since your grandmother banned it for a month.”

“I know, it's getting a little ridiculous,” Percy laughed in exasperation as a few flames flicked and popped around his fingers, “I can't even use my fire to bake things properly anymore for today. I am  _so_  tired.”

“Then go take a nap,” Arthur snickered, “I'm sure your mother can find something else to satisfy her.”

“She woke me up half an hour ago to make her pudding. They were terrible.”

“...You might want to go to your grandmother's place to sleep, then.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Percy rolled his eyes, “Hey, Dad? Do you think I'll be a good brother to the baby?”

Oh, Arthur remembers this kind of conversation all too well. He stood up and held Percy close to him.

“Maybe not at first, but wanting to be a good brother is a start. I know you and your sister will do just fine. If you ever need help, there's your mother and me, and your grandparents, too. We're all in this together, okay?”

Percy gave a toothy grin.

\- - - - - - -

Normally, Arthur tries not to believe in most superstitions, but if there is one that seems to be consistent, it would be Friday the 13th. With October being considered “the spooky” month, the day and date itself would be considered cursed to some. Ever since his children were born on that day and date, though, he never believed it to be unlucky or cursed anymore.

This time, Arthur finds it to be the lucky date for his family. On the early hours of October, Friday the 13th, just past four in the morning, their third child was born in the Cantabile Crescendo University Hospital.

A nurse handed a small cherubic baby girl with black hair to Elaine resting in the hospital bed, with Arthur by her side.

It was unsurprising, considering the family bloodline's history of only having daughters, but after having Percy, Elaine told Arthur that she isn't so sure of it anymore. Arthur isn't sure whether she was a little disappointed at not having another son, but as far as he knew, a healthy child is all the both of them wanted.

“Do you have a name for her yet?” The nurse asked.

“Well, my star?” Elaine looked up at him.

“Why are you asking me?” Arthur rose a brow in amusement, “We've already picked some names, haven't we?”

“You came up with Gwen and Percy's names. I feel it's fitting that you name her, too.”

Arthur thought about it. Back when they were expecting the twins, Arthur wasn't completely convinced about the family having only daughters despite Elaine telling him that, so he came up with four different names for every possible outcome. Percy and Wayne if they were boys, and Gwen and Vivian if they were girls. Because it was a boy and girl pair, he just simply picked out the names that rolled off the tongue best when spoken together, which happened to be Gwen and Percy. With their third child being a girl, and Gwen's name is already used...

“...Vivian. Vivian Lulu.”

“Vivian Lulu?”

He spelled out the name to her, “It would be her own name, and honor your grandmother at the same time.”

“And where did the Lulu come from?”

“I thought it rolled off the tongue pretty well.”

“Vivian...” Elaine experimented, “Vivian Knights... Vivian Lulu Knights... Vivian L. Knights... Yeah... That fits. That will be her name. Oh, Vivian... As soon as we get out of here, the first one who gets to meet you outside of our family will be Mama Vivienne, your namesake.”

Arthur looked down at his newborn daughter, holding out a finger from his prosthetic hand near the baby's own tiny hand. As the newborn started to grasp his finger on instinct, he narrowed his eyes at the thought of him having nightmares again.

Well, he started having the nightmares of the wraith and the kitsune wanting to take his family ever since Gwen and Percy were born. While he still fears them, the protections he received from Elaine and her family, along with the various counseling sessions from a therapist the family trusts, he started to slowly move on from them. Ever since Vivian was conceived, however, the nightmares returned with a vengeance, but Arthur knew not to let it conquer him.

Like with Gwen and Percy, who were left to stay with Morgan for the time being, Arthur swore to himself to protect Vivian from the ghosts of his past, and to love her until the end of time even after her power emerges, should she have them.

As the nurse decided to leave the parents alone for a while to bond with their newborn daughter, Elaine held Vivian out to him, “Would you like to hold her? I think she should get to know you.”

Arthur nodded and took the bundle in his hold, allowing him to see her up close for the first time. She looked just her mother, although he could see that she has his nose. Her hair is completely black like her mother and sister, her skin looking pale yet healthy. He noticed that she is starting to wake up with a whimper, so he held her close to let her hear his heartbeat.

He smiled slightly, remembering that he did the exact same thing to the twins back when they were newborns. He recalled being scared to hold them, afraid that he might hurt them, afraid that he would fail them. But after being with them for exactly eleven years, he knew that he defied those fears thanks to the help of Elaine and her family. Because of them, he can hold Vivian without any fear or concern of his own insecurities.

Even though the Mystery Skulls never found him, Arthur didn't want to take any chances, so he held off on making that call to his uncle ever since he learned that Elaine was pregnant with Vivian. He didn't want to risk Vivian's safety if calling his uncle potentially meant letting the Mystery Skulls on finding him.

~~Even though he denied it, Arthur knew the real reason why he ran away.~~

He started humming the lullaby to her, the song that always opened the wound in his heart, yet it is the only one he is willing to play for his family. His voice cracked midway, and he shed a tear before he could stop himself.

...Even after all this time, he can't let go.

“My knight?”

Arthur looked up at Elaine, who looked back with concern on her face.

“My star,” she held out her left hand to him, “Is there something on your mind?”

He took her hand with his prosthetic, “No, I'm just thinking about how happy I am to have met you and our family.”

Elaine gave him a knowing smile, and he knew very well that she isn't fooled by his words.

\- - - - - - -

…

…

…

_Why?_

_Why did this have to happen to us?_

_I never wanted to hurt you..._

…

...

…

_No! This is... What have I...?_

_I didn't want this!_

_I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!_

…

…

…

_Why won't you pick up?_

_Please... pick up._

_I'm begging you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...?
> 
> Although the year as a number doesn't really count for much since I didn't really establish a time of year here, the ages of Gwen, Percy, and Vivian are based off actual time. Ghost was released on October 2014, where Arthur is 22 according to his profile. Friday, October 13th occurred in 2017, which coincides with it being three years later when Gwen and Percy were born while Arthur is 25. The next time Friday the 13th occurs on an October is during the year 2023 while Arthur is 31, and again on 2028, the latter time being when Vivian was born while Arthur is 36. In short, Gwen and Percy are exactly eleven years older than Vivian due to all three sharing the same birthday, October 13th.
> 
> ...Oh, look, more name origins! ...Does anyone even care about these?
> 
> Adagio is a music term that means “slow,” as in music that plays slowly, or music with a slow tempo. The Adagio Inn in Cantabile is based off a historical hotel near my hometown that's often a popular place for romantic dining, weddings, and honeymoons. Slow music is often played in romantic settings, so I figured Adagio would be fitting for this.
> 
> Crescendo is yet another music term, where it translates as "increasing" - or growing - in volume. I used that name for the hospital Vivian is born in because, well, babies grow. I would've used another term, but I wanted to use it for something else.
> 
> Vivian is, once again, yet another name that the Lady of the Lake would have depending on the version her story is told. More specifically, the name is "Viviane with an E," but I'm using the more modern spelling. ...and I just noticed that I'm using the whole "with an E" thing a lot. I swear it's becoming a running gag at this point.
> 
> Also, to help clarify the Knights family, I've drawn a rough layout of the family tree.
> 
> The only so-called mistake on this tree would be the order of Vivienne's children on Generation 9, where it has Caelia as her older daughter when it's supposed to be Morgan. I used an online software to construct the family tree, and I couldn't fix the error with the proper tools without starting over. Since it has Elaine and Eleanor correctly listed to Caelia and Morgan respectively, I decided to let it slide. Also, the section where it has "a bunch of family members not listed" are extended to Gens 9 to 11, and the family members on that section appeared in the background on Chapter 6. Since they're not relevant to the story, they will not appear in Knights outside of family reunions, and even then they'll just be background characters.
> 
> The women in Gens 1-7 are deceased. As I'm sure you know, all of the women of the Knights family (sans Morgan, who doesn't have a monster form, and Percy, who has one despite being a boy) have monster forms, some of which being yokai/monsters that can live for thousands of years.
> 
> What? You're wondering about Niniane? She's a mystery even for me.
> 
> The name origins for the rest of the Gen 11 characters will be explained in the next chapter because this section is becoming way too long, although I bet some of you can find them yourself if you're determined.


	10. Why Is It That Everything Seems Beautiful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The lyrics that make this chapter's title is from the song Live Forever.
> 
> I just noticed that I posted the last chapter on Valentine's Day, and now this chapter has been posted on White Day one month later. Neat.
> 
> (For those who read my Fire Emblem Heroes story Unpredictable, the next chapter is in development. I just wanted to wait until a decent number of chapters for Book III is released so I can have a better grasp of its story while remaining faithful to the FEH canon. I apologize for the long wait.)

Three days after Arthur and Elaine had their third child, the family celebration of Vivian's birth went along fine for the most part. Vivienne had her chance of holding her new great-granddaughter. Vivienne's age is starting to get the better of her, so she often stays in her home attached to Four of a Kind Queens as a result. Once that was done, Arthur and Elaine took their newborn daughter to the next family reunion with the latter's immediate family to introduce her. She was carefully passed over between Elaine parents and aunt, then to her cousin Eleanor and her husband Nicholas.

Soon Gwen and Percy stared at their new sister with curiosity, wonder, fear, and joy all at the same time. They each took turns holding their new little sister, and Arthur couldn't help but subtly take a few pictures of his three children with his phone to hold close to his heart. He now has not two, but three reasons to keep living.

After the reunion, when the now family of five returned home. It was getting rather late, and with Vivian now asleep, it was decided that they should all turn in for the night soon. Gwen and Percy soon went to bed, and Arthur and Elaine went into their bedroom to put their newborn daughter into her crib before turning in themselves.

Unfortunately, as Arthur knew and feared, he started to have nightmares of the wraith wanting to take his newborn daughter away after failing to take the twins. He has no idea what would happen if the wraith did successfully take any of the three children, but he knew he didn't want to find out. Gwen and Percy are capable of handling themselves even though they're only eleven, but with Vivian being a three-day-old baby so far, she's as defenseless as one could get. When he woke up from the first nightmare, he could barely remember it as he heard Vivian cry.

It was agreed that since Elaine had just gone through childbirth, Arthur was usually to be the one to handle the baby for the first few days to let her rest, only to get her if Vivian happened to be hungry and wouldn't take a bottle Elaine prepared.

Arthur got out from the bed, attached his arm, and gently picked up the tiny crying newborn from the crib. Vivian's crying quieted down immediately, which meant that she only wanted to be held. He knew that Vivian could recognize Elaine as her mother, but he isn't exactly sure if she could recognize him as her father. Regardless, he used his usual technique, holding her close to his chest to let her hear his heartbeat, and humming the lullaby he used back when Gwen and Percy were babies.

It still made his heart ache.

*

_This time I might just disappear..._

_Whoa-o-o-oh_

_This time I might just dis-_

_Oh mo mo mo mo_

_Oh mo mo mo mo (Oh yeah)_

_Oh mo moo mo mo oh_

_This time I might just disappear..._

*

Arthur felt Vivian nuzzle her head against his chest, her cries being reduced to quiet whimpers. He nudged one of her tiny hands with a finger, and smiled a little when her tiny hand grasped it.

He walked out of their bedroom and went downstairs to go into his current work and study room. He's aware that he can't do much since he's holding his newborn daughter, but looking over Gwen and Percy's homework or something akin to it shouldn't hurt. He made a small bassinet to keep in there next to his desk before Vivian was born, so he can always keep an eye on his newborn daughter while working. He also needed time to calm down from his nightmare, even though he can't remember much from it now.

Upon seeing Vivian go back to sleep, Arthur set her in the bassinet and went to his desk. The twins occasionally leave their math and science homework for him to look over, and upon seeing the two worksheets, saw that they both had their questions correct.

Arthur gave a breath of amusement while feeling proud of the twins, for it's not every day a father gets to see his children skip not one, but two grades to where they can be properly challenged in their current Eighth grade class. He felt even more proud when the two decided to join their middle school robotics club, which allowed him and the twins to truly connect with one another. Once they graduate to high school next year, Arthur knew that they'll probably dominate the robotics club there, too.

He looked to his right where a lone table stands, and smiled upon seeing the half-complete project the twins are steadily working on in secret at first before he discovered it by accident just last week.

* * *

_Arthur came home from his temporary job later than usual as a teaching assistant for the robotics program at the Cantabile Institute of Technology. The main instructor, Mr. Robert Cromwell, had to suddenly leave early today to handle a sudden family emergency, leaving Arthur with a request to watch over the class until it was over. He usually didn't like being the center of attention, but he still helped the students by giving them feedback on their projects, correcting their prints on their software, and just encouraging them to work hard and strive to be better._

_To his dismay, however, he still had his fear of crowds, although he is slowly improving._

_The main instructor, the man who hired him, was very understanding once he learned of this. Because his class only had around thirty students for the semester, he had split it into two classes with fifteen students divided among them so he wouldn't get overwhelmed. During the official lab times, Arthur would help the students with either the projects themselves or answer questions regarding their written homework. The students, in turn, remained professional for the most part, especially once they learned that they actually liked Arthur as a fellow robotics enthusiast._

_The only reason Arthur took the job is that not only did it give him access to more reliable equipment when working on robotics, it paid well, allowing him to earn some extra money on preparing for his third child, who's due to come any day now._

_He briefly wondered what would've happened if he had taken this as his career route before everything went wrong, then shoved the thought aside. He long decided to discard the thoughts about the “woulda-coulda-shoulda” as that one quote he can't remember someone saying. He managed to do the “one little did” from the same quote by leaving Tempo, and will keep doing it until he can live without any fear._

_Arthur is healing, and will keep healing until he is ready to completely move on._

_He wondered what Elaine made for dinner, then shrugged the thought off that if by some chance she didn't, then there's always leftovers he could always eat. Assuming the twins haven't eaten them, that is, then he'll have to scrounge. Taking the keys out of his pocket, he unlocked the door and went inside and announced his presence with a hello._

_Almost immediately, he heard something fall and the twins yelping in surprise and frustration. Setting his bag down, Arthur quickly went upstairs and heard the twins who seemed to be arguing amongst themselves within Percy's room. He peeked into the doorway to see if either of them are hurt._

“ _Daddy!” “Dad!”_

_Gwen immediately threw a white bed sheet over what seemed to be yet another science project, but it didn't cover it completely, which Percy tried to correct._

“ _W-W-What are you doing, Dad?! You're supposed to knock!”_

“ _...Your door was already open, Percy,” Arthur slowly pointed out with a raised brow before turning his attention to the poorly hidden project, “What are you making this time? Do you need me to give you feedba...” He trailed off as he could make out the long and thin shape hidden beneath the sheet, and noticed what seemed to be smaller appendages barely poking out. Was that an--?_

“ _A-Anyway, Daddy,” Gwen started to shove some of her tools aside while glancing at the sheet hiding their latest project, “How was work at the uni... uni...”_

“ _'University'?” Arthur finished for her, “It's all right. There's these two students that are always hard on themselves whenever things don't work out the way they should.” Wait a minute. They're trying to switch the topic on him! He quickly reached out and grabbed at the sheet before the twins could protest, “So what are you--”_

_Upon seeing what was beneath, Arthur went silent._

_Although it looks half complete due to the many wires that were strewn about, he immediately recognized it as a robotic arm. Gwen and Percy were trying to make a prosthetic all by themselves? At their age?_

_He looked at his son and daughter, both of whom were looking away nervously. What has them so uptight? He looked around, and nearby he saw what seemed to be a blueprint. He picked it up, and upon examining it, he quickly realized that it's a blueprint for a previous model of his arm that he made a few years back. Hadn't it gone missing about two weeks ago?_

_He looked up and saw the twins give each other a nervous glance before looking at him._

“ _Gwen. Percy. Why hide this?” Arthur held out the blueprint to them, confused about their behavior, “You've had me look at all your other projects. Why would you hide this one from me?”_

_The twins looked at each other before Percy decided to speak up._

“ _You never liked talking about your arm.”_

_Arthur went still before looking down at his left arm, made from metal, wires, and other material that isn't flesh, blood, and bone._

_He still remembered the day he still had it, healthy and whole. Remembered the time the demon took hold. Remembered the time it shoved Lewis to his death while feeling the fabric of his friend's vest. Remembered the feeling of the kitsune's fangs sinking down to break the flesh and bone before it was ripped away from him, spilling blood. Remembered being unable to remember why his arm was lost. Remembered trying to take a grip at the wraith's sleeve in desperation as he was held by his shirt from a cliff while dangling over the stalagmites._

~~_Remembered the falling._ ~~

_After he was dropped when the wraith let go, after he and the others had learned the truth, the arm had taken a whole new meaning. People would stare at his prosthetic, whether to rarely marvel or gawk at in disgust like the wraith did. He became recognizable, people would know him as the mechanic who lost an arm to an animal attack to the general public, or as an unfortunate victim of a possession while giving the feeling that he should have fought it off to the ones who really knew the truth._

~~_Remembered his arm_ breaking _._~~

_He couldn't bear the guilt weighing him down and the prejudices he perceived. The stares that the Yukino family and the Peppers have given him when they saw him and his arm. The suppression he felt was too great for him to handle, the tears threatening to fall every time. The wishes he heard that said he should have died when they thought he wasn't there to listen._

~~_I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry_ ~~

_He curled his fingers around his left wrist, feeling the fabric of his wristband while trying to ignore the fleshy feel of the prosthetic. The fake flesh cover that Elaine made with Eleanor's help is what saved him when he first arrived in Cantabile. It made him look normal. It made it easier to hide. Still, he didn't like to look at his left arm unless it needed maintenance._

_But the fact that the twins noticed that, is..._

“ _You don't need to worry about that, you two,” Arthur smiled as he waved his left arm in a dismissive gesture, “It's true that this thing has a lot of bad memories, but you making an arm won't bother me. I'm proud, actually. So...” he looked at the partially built arm in more detail, “I see some parts are different, what's up with these?”_

_The twins jumped slightly upon Arthur asking, looked at each other, then Gwen shrugged before picking up a notebook to show him a page, “Well, we saw a video on YouTube where it has a prosthetic arm with the ability to feel things. You know, like, touch things? You know, if it's hot or cold? We're trying to re... rep... rep-- copy that.”_

“ _You're trying to_ replicate _it?”_

“ _Yeah, Dad, that. Problem is, the one on the video is too heavy for an amputee to use, so we're trying to make one that's lighter,” Percy, who finally relaxed, pointed at the arm's metal parts, “We're trying to find pieces to remove or replace with lighter parts to reduce the weight. We thought about using one of your prints as a base, and if we succeeded, we could get accepted at that school you're working at now...” The boy trailed off as he looked at his father's arm._

_A feeling of relief and happiness filled his entire being. Oh, how Arthur loved his children, always trying so hard to make him proud. He couldn't remember the last time he felt so moved, knowing that these two strive for their goals, for both themselves and him._

_Still, they're only ten, and soon they will be eleven. They're still young, and the young ones will always need guidance._

_"I think I've got a few suggestions on how to do that.”_

* * *

The sound of Vivian crying pulled Arthur out from the happy memory. Smiling a little, he got off from his desk chair to lift her from the bassinet. Looking at the clock, he saw that it was about time for Vivian to have one of her feedings. Well, good thing Elaine prepared Vivian's food ahead of time in the refrigerator. With the goal of feeding Vivian in mind, he went to the kitchen to heat up the milk.

~~He recalled Elaine making a scene once back when the twins were babies where she loudly thanked the heavens for breast pumps. In public. While in a restaurant. Caelia and Morgan were laughing while Arthur just focused on giving Gwen her bottle. _Nope, I don't know her for the next thirty minutes_.~~

After feeding and changing his newborn daughter, Arthur went back to the bedroom and saw that Elaine is still asleep. A good thing, since he knew that she still felt sore from childbirth and needed all the time she could get to recover. He then read the clock and saw that's it's a little past four in the morning.

His lips tugged into a thin line, he knew he needed to go back to bed soon. He has work tomorrow morning at the university, and he needed to be there by ten if the main instructor doesn't come back. He knew that Elaine will start taking care of Vivian once her alarm goes off at six, so maybe he can leave the next time their daughter needs care to her.

Arthur soon went back to focus on the task at hand, and placed the now sleeping Vivian back in her crib. He then took off his arm, crawled into his side of the bed beside Elaine and went to sleep, dreading the next nightmare or memory he knew he will have.

The next time Arthur woke up, to his relief, he couldn't recall dreaming anything. Looking at the alarm clock next to him, he saw that the time read seven forty-five in the morning. He pressed a button on the clock to check the alarm time itself, and saw that it was set to go off at eight. He normally has the alarm set at seven fifteen. Which meant that Elaine modified his alarm again.

He slowly sat up as he let out a breath of mixed amusement and exasperation. Elaine did this back when Gwen and Percy were babies, primarily to have him sleep as much as he could. She knew about his nightmares, and thus knew about his tendency of being up late at night. As soon as Elaine confirmed Arthur's schedule, she would modify his alarm clock. At first, it was by ten minutes, and soon it became more than that. From what he noticed, she never modified the alarm to exceed the original time by one hour.

He saw that Elaine isn't in bed, meaning that the former is up and about. He soon heard his daughter crying, and he went to check on her after reattaching his arm. He noticed something long and black in color that looked like another blanket at first glance, but didn't pay attention to it as he picked up Vivian from her crib. Upon noticing that the black material has followed the baby girl's movement, he went still. Had this been the time back when Gwen and Percy were newborns, Arthur would have freaked out and screamed or somewhere among those lines. Now, after knowing what exactly goes on in the Knights family bloodline, he could only just stare.

Vivian's hair... should _not_ be longer than her tiny body.

Yet here she is, sporting a full head of long hair at four days old, cooing at Arthur with her gummy mouth open, unaware of the oddity she has.

 _What..._ is _this?_

He quickly decided to take her to Elaine. If there's anyone who would have an idea on what's going on, it's her.

...

Whoever said that raising a baby can be difficult at times had it right, and Arthur knew that for a fact. However...

“ _Oh, no, Vivian! Mom, what do we do?!”_

“ _Dad! Vivian's vanished again!”_

 ...they probably didn't account for said baby to have powers.

Remember the part that said the women born in the Knights family typically have their powers awaken and emerge at around the age of ten years? The three children from Arthur and Elaine have broken that expectation in three ways. The first being that the twins' powers came to be at seven years of age. The second being Percy even having the power at all, which is an oddity since he is the only male born in the family bloodline in over ten generations. The third being that...

“ _WHAT THE DID SHE JUST POOF INTO SMOKE?!”_

...their third child has her power awaken four days after her birth.

Arthur could only just stare incredulously upon seeing the aftermath, the chaos happening as quickly as it came.

It was just so sudden, while Elaine was examining Vivian on the kitchen counter (“Her hair wasn't like this when I nursed her about an hour ago...”), the baby just turned into smoke and disappeared, leaving her blanket sleeper and even her diaper behind, which then instilled a panic amongst the family members to find out where Vivian went.

At first, Elaine simply cut Vivian's hair with a pair of scissors, but it would almost instantly grow back to it's original long length. She then tried to braid the hair, but it quickly became undone on its own. After the third attempt at getting Vivian's hair either under control or at a manageable length, the baby girl started disappearing and reappearing while wailing, thus leading to the chaos just earlier.

Arthur, who distanced himself from Elaine to give her space while looking over some blueprint modifications that Gwen and Percy had made for their next science project, could only stare numbly at the four-day-old baby girl, lying on the kitchen table in front of him on her back with her hair partially covering her, her hair still longer than she is tall. Vivian's arms twitched, as if trying to reach out to him. Arthur slowly blinked and put his pencil down.

He tried to process what the hell just happened.

As soon as Vivian started crying again, she started to float upward. On reflex, Arthur immediately grabbed her and wrapped her in a spare blanket he had nearby while minding her hair, calming her almost immediately. Elaine running to his side and taking their child into her hold.

“Uh, okay,” Elaine flustered, “So, baby disappears into smoke, teleports, and floats. And has hair with a stubborn streak. That's a new one.”

Percy stared at Vivian with an incredulous look, “How did--?”

“Smoke appeared. Took her shape. And bam. Vivian,” Arthur shrugged, “I'm not sure what just happened, but it wasn't any of you, was it?”

“No,” Gwen said as if the answer was obvious, “I can only make ice and just started being able to turn into a wolf. I can't teleport.”

“It wasn't me,” Percy rolled his eyes, “I can only turn into a fox and make fire. I just started figuring out how to travel from one TV screen to another.”

Gwen sighed, “I need to figure out how to do that...”

Arthur rubbed Vivian's long hair against two of his fingers, noticing that it feels like real hair. It looked to be about a meter long. What kind of yokai would have long hair again? He would think Vivian might be an onyro, but last he checked, an onryo isn't exactly a yokai, right...?

“You know,” Elaine said with exasperation, “I should probably be happy that she didn't get this long hair of hers while I was pregnant with her. I don't know if it's true, but I probably would've had the _worst_ heartburn. ...Or the reactions from the hospital staff, which would've been worse.”

“So what do we do, Mom?” Gwen asked.

“Charm and hex her?” Percy suggested half joking, half serious.

“Maybe, I'll just have to take her to Mom and Mama Vivienne and see if either of them might have some ideas. I'll have to see if Nana Niniane is still around, since she's usually traveling at this time of year.”

Elaine looked unsure, but she's showing more confidence than Arthur is, so he's not complaining.

“Arthur, you should get going to the university soon or you'll be late,” Elaine nodded to him, “We'll take care of everything here. I'll see you later tonight, okay?”

* * *

“ _I swear, Arthur, ever since you became a part of this family, it's one thing after another. First you father a set of twins, one being a boy, then their power awakens at age seven instead of ten. And now you father a child whose power awakened in her_ infancy _who's_ not even a week old yet _, which is_ unprecedented _in and of itself,” Niniane started sewing patches of some sort onto Vivian's clothes, “Are you from some kind of ancient and powerful bloodline or something?”_

Arthur isn't sure what to think of that. If he is, then no one told him, nor does he care about it. All he cared about is Vivian's safety, because since she's still a baby, her power can be dangerous to herself and others if not properly controlled.

In response to this, Niniane and Vivienne started sewing various charms on Vivian's clothes so that way the next time she vanishes, it'll take her clothes with her and “not appear naked on a table again,” as Niniane puts it. Morgan and Caelia went through the trouble of placing multiple wards around Arthur and Elaine's home to keep Vivian from disappearing to places that take her outside the house. This, however, created a new problem, with so many protections around the house, Arthur's prosthetic arm would act up every now and then. The magic would prevent the electric signals from going through his arm. Without the full function of his prosthetic, it prevented Arthur from being able to do the more complex tasks, and even prevented him from being able to properly hold Vivian, much to his dismay.

Still, it was a necessary drawback. He either temporarily loses the complete use of his left arm, or risk Vivian accidentally teleporting outside the house where she could get herself hurt with no one around to help her.

Every once in a while, though, Arthur hated being the powerless one in the family. He once told Elaine this once they managed to figure out a system on how to properly care for their new baby.

“ _Of course you have a power, Arthur!” Elaine exclaimed, incredulous, “Your power is being my amazing husband and an amazing father to our kids! And Vivian's almost always calm when she's with you. You have...” Elaine made a show of fanning her hands and then made a show of spreading them apart,_ “Dad Powers.”

“ _What.”_

However, the loving words from Elaine, the hugs from Gwen and Percy, and the smiles and giggles from Vivian more than make up for it.

There were still many obstacles to overcome when raising their youngest child. Thankfully, Arthur and Elaine managed with the help from Elaine's immediate family, and Gwen and Percy were willing to put their weight in it, too. As Vivian grew, the baby girl started to grasp her abilities more clearly, and soon she was able to stop teleporting around once she reached eight months of age. After that, some of the protections were removed, and it allowed Arthur to be able to regain full use of his left arm again, much to his relief.

Soon after Arthur regained the use of his prosthetic, he noticed that his life is gradually improving, for better or for worse, he thinks.

Although he was unable to obtain a full time instructor position at the Cantabile Institute of Technology since he still works at Four of a Kind Queens, he managed to get a proper position as a part time instructor complete with a raise in pay, where he teaches robotics. The job has him to work three days a week from nine in the morning to five in the evening, allowing him to be able to still spend the evening with his family. A good thing, since Vivian tends to get cranky if she doesn't see him in the evening.

Four of a Kind Queens has been having an increase in business, which allowed more money to flow in. This in turn gave Caelia and Morgan the opportunity to remodel Vivienne's home that's attached to the shop. A small elevator was added in the foyer, and the bathroom facilities were modified to allow the place to be more mobile friendly since the old matriarch is nearing her nineties. Because she can only walk short distances now, Vivienne became wheelchair bound most of the time.

One day when Arthur was at work at the university, he overheard some students talking about a band that is coming out of retirement after ten years. Arthur took the time to read an online article about it and saw that the band in question is MS Dubuc, an old band that Vivi and Lewis were big fans of. Vivi loved the band so much that she even named the Mystery Skulls after one of the band's songs of the same name. Arthur didn't consider himself a huge fan to that extent, but he did enjoy some of the band's music. His personal favorite being "Every Note" and “Together.” 

~~...His heart felt heavy upon recalling the past.~~

When he told Elaine, Gwen, and Percy about the band, they came to like the music, too, enough to where the twins even wanted to go to the concert that marks their return. What surprised them, though, is that the band is only run by one person. If Arthur remembered right, it was Alberto Rodgers or something like that. From the looks of it, the man behind the band retired to spend time with his wife and family, and came back upon his wife's insistence. The identities of his “secret” wife and other family members weren't revealed, but that isn't Arthur's concern.

Gwen and Percy were gradually able to fine tune their powers, allowing them to utilize their skills safely without the risk of harming anyone. Arthur felt that it was good timing, because Vivian started teething, and whenever they run out of rice rusks (“How are we going through so many?!” Elaine exclaims.), Gwen started to hand her baby sister clear ice spheres for her to gnaw on, and would soon make little ice pops out of fruit juice to give her new things to taste. Percy hasn't been able to find things to entertain Vivian with his fire power yet, but giving her rides as a kitsune would work in the meantime.

Of course, Arthur now has to deal with the occasional spat between Gwen and Percy on who gives Vivian rides when she wants them.

* * *

Arthur somewhat dreaded for this day.

“Hold on, you two, it looks like there's a trap up ahead to your left. Can you see it?”

“ _Uh... The wall over here does look a little different compared to the rest of this room,”_ Gwen said, _“I don't see anything else that seems strange.”_

“ _Maybe it's motion sensored?_ ” Percy suggested.

Back when Arthur first met Elaine, not counting her distant cousins such as Melia, she and her cousin Eleanor were the latest members of the Knights family. For the Knights, as Arthur long knew by now, their duty is to handle the more malicious side of the paranormal, and fight actual monsters. When the twins were born, he knew that they would eventually take up the duty as well. Or at least Gwen would have to, since it wasn't known if Percy would have any powers at the time.

And now, with the twins being twelve years old, Elaine decided to take the twins on their first solo excursion to start their training. She meant to take the twins shortly after she recovered from Vivian's birth, but the premature awakening of the baby's own powers threw a wrench in that plan. Thankfully, now that Vivian is a year old now, her powers have gradually stabilized. The baby's hair is still longer than her body, and she still teleports around every now and then, but only for very short distances.

(He noticed a few months back that Vivian would only teleport whenever she wanted to be with her daddy, much to his inner joy. It was so amusing that he decided he'll let the rest of the family figure it out for themselves.)

It was a simple job in Largo, Florida, according to Elaine. There weren't any disappearances, just some strange occurrences at a cave close to a school that was abandoned due to lack of funding. Lights randomly appearing and disappearing, the one time sound of a screeching woman, and the occasional sound of a dog. It was originally investigated by the local police when their client, a local man, first reported it, but they didn't find anything telling. Eventually, their client had heard about the Knights family from a distant acquaintance, and hired the family to investigate the area.

 

* * *

“ _I saw someone enter the cave, but I didn't see anyone come out and heard a woman screaming before it went silent. I reported it to the police and have them check it, but they didn't find anything, and no one had been reported missing for the past three days. Also, they refused to investigate further because they're busy trying to stop a drug ring or something according to my friends. Will you look into it? If we don't do something, who knows what will happen?”_

_* * *_

 

It is strange that only one man is concerned, but he did pay them to investigate. To Arthur, the least he can do with his family is find out what exactly is happening to give the man a peace of mind.

~~...He just hoped it wasn't a _demon_.~~

Although Arthur feared for Gwen and Percy's safety, he knew that with him in the van navigating for them, and with Elaine watching over the twins going through their first time exploring a paranormal assignment solo with her watching from the shadows, things should be fine.

“ _Let's see, if I press this part of the wall here, it migh-- AUGH WHY ARE THERE ARROWS?!”_

Or maybe not.

“Gwen, Percy, you know I can only detect hidden things in a vague fashion with my radar. Also, I can only see whatever is on your cameras, so I wouldn't have been able to know what exactly that trap is.”

“ _I noticed,”_ his son grouched, _“Whatever, we got it disarmed.”_

“ _More like you made it run out of ammo, Percy,”_ his daughter commented.

“I'd be more concerned if it activated a silent alarm,” he rose a brow, “Well, anyway. I don't see anything else out of the ordinary. What's your status, Elaine?”

“ _I'm fine. Someone's definitely using this place as base, though, judging from the footprints and some trash found here. We may have to get the police involved if we find anything illegal.”_

Arthur rose a brow and glanced at Vivian, who is asleep in the small custom made bed next to him in the van. He isn't sure what to think about Elaine's comment. Is she serious? One would think the that shot arrow aimed to kill was enough to want to call them.

“ _But seriously, jokes aside, we're definitely getting police involved after this,”_ Elaine declared, _“These traps are recent, and if a civilian entered this cave, they probably would've been killed, which can pretty much lead to murder.”_

Arthur sighed, not bothering to argue with an amused smile. From the looks of it, the cave is being used by a person, and rigged it with traps to keep people from getting out. But that meant that whoever is using the cave, he or she has something to hide. What exactly, he doesn't know.

“ _Hey... do you guys smell something?”_ Gwen asked as the screen with her icon shift downward suddenly, which Arthur realized is her shifting into a wolf, the sound of her sniffing the ground was picked up then, _“Oh geez! What the heck is this?!”_

He saw Percy's screen shift downward as well, no doubt for Percy to smell it too as a fox/kitsune, _“Ugh...! She's right, it reeks! I can't tell if it's like a cleaner, or what! ...Dad? I don't feel so good.”_

“ _Me, too... My head's spinning...”_

That's concerning. Right as Arthur was about to say something, he heard Elaine give the twins the command head back to the cave entrance, then saw the icon marking Elaine's position on the map sprint ahead. He turned to Elaine's screen and saw her moving further ahead.

“Trap ahead.”

“ _I see it. The smell is getting even to me, so there's no way I'm not letting them go through that without protection.”_

“What about you, Elaine? Do you even have a respirator?”

“ _I have one that mainly stops dust from getting into my lungs. It won't stop the smell of whatever this crap is, though. Just let me know when the kids return to you. I'm considering their training to be done for today.”_

Arthur gave his word to Elaine, and within the next fifteen minutes, the twins returned to him by climbing into the van's side door in their human forms. Once they were all safe inside, Arthur excused himself from Elaine to take a moment to hug his two children.

“Are you two okay?” He whispered, mindful of Vivian.

“I feel better now that I've had fresh air,” Gwen grumbled as she hugged him back, “I don't wanna smell that again.”

“You've got that right,” Percy also returned the gesture of affection, “How's Vivian, Dad?”

“Amazingly, she's still asleep,” Arthur turned to the baby girl, who is still asleep in the small bed, “I didn't have any trouble handling her at all while I was here.”

“Whenever any of us hold her, she _always_ cries,” Percy sighed, “I don't know how you do it.”

“You two were like that when you were babies, you know,” Arthur chuckled as he went to check on the little one, “You two almost always cried when Elaine or anyone else held you, so I had my hands full with the two of you. If it hadn't been for your grandmother and Vivienne, I probably wouldn't even have a moment's peace or get anything done at Queens. Well, then again, you didn't have your power at infancy, thank heavens.”

Gwen and Percy were silent when Arthur gently brushed the knuckles of his flesh hand against Vivian's chest. As he felt her breathing, Vivian's arms twitched before she moved to snuggle against his hand. Arthur then looked at the twins, both of whom where staring at Vivian's sleeping figure. He didn't know what exactly the twins were thinking, but what he did know is that they're good siblings. Sure, they made some mistakes, such as forgetting to change her diaper or burp her after a feeding once or twice. But in the end, they do what they can.

“ _My knight, could you do me a_ little _favor real quick?”_

Smiling to himself, he slowly pulled away from Vivian's hold and went back to the screens. The screen with Elaine's icon still shows that the footage is being recorded.

“I'm back, Elaine. Have you found anything?”

“ _Yes, remember me saying that we need to get police involved? Well, I found that drug ring they've been chasing for months.”_

“Wait, seriously?” Arthur gave an exasperated shrug in total disbelief, “In the _one_ place they didn't check?!”

“ _Yep, and also, the stuff the kids smelled was meth. I didn't recognize it at first since I'm more used to smelling pot. Oh, and I found the source of the screaming woman our client heard. A good thing I sent the kids back, because we have a, uh... 10-64.”_

Arthur's fingers twitched inward, nearly closing his shrugged hands into fists.

“What does that even mean?” Percy asked.

“Was someone doing math equations in the kitchen...?”

Arthur could tell that Gwen has no idea what exactly Elaine is talking about. Probably a good thing that Percy doesn't get it, either, since the two of them are too young to realize what Elaine discovered was actually pretty gruesome. Which meant that any further attempts for the job to go smoothly is now gone.

Again.

* * *

 When Vivian became eighteen months old, Arthur and Elaine soon realized what kind of yokai form their third child has.

The family of five had gone on a walk through the downtown area of Cantabile to attend a music festival celebrating the Day of the Dead. There are various booths that sell various festival treats and merchandise, some booths sold arts and crafts made by individual people, and there were even some lottery booths. The lottery booths had small bingo ball cages full of small spheres of various colors, with the color determining the prize. Prizes that range from stickers to books and coupons to vouchers. Neat.

As the music played to honor the dead and departed, as Arthur held his second daughter in his arms, he noticed that Vivian started to reach out to something. He looked, and saw that it was one of the many bingo ball booths. Curious as to what had Vivian's attention, he decided to check out the booth while Elaine and the twins were looking at another booth nearby.

Arthur read the list of prizes. The common white ball gives a sticker, the not so common blue ball gives a voucher for a free chicken sandwich at a locally owned restaurant, the rare red ball will result in a free meal for two from the same restaurant, while the only one gold ball within will win... _Wait, is that right?_ Arthur rose a brow as he read the sign that showed the top prize.

“Baba! Baba!” Vivian tugged at his shirt and pointed at the bingo and babbled excitedly, her purple eyes sparkling with even more excitement, “Tee! Tee!”

Arthur rose a brow while deciphering her words, but soon realized what she was trying to say. Shrugging to himself, he reached out to try his luck.

...Well, then.

Later that evening, once the family of five came home, Arthur went and showed Elaine, Gwen, and Percy exactly what he won at that one lotto booth and three others.

“Tickets to MS Dubuc's Come Back concert?! They've been sold out for _weeks!_ ” Percy gawked at the items in question.

“Forget only winning one, Daddy,” Gwen is also shocked, “How were you able to win _four_ of them in _four different booths?!”_

“Crazy as it is, it only happened when I tried the ones Vivian pointed at,” Arthur raised Vivian slightly, the little girl clapping and giggling, to show his point, “When I tried the other booths that Vivian didn't show interest in, I only got the last place prizes. I guess the ones she pointed out was just luck?”

“Luck...!” Elaine just barely stopped herself from doing a facepalm, “Of course, _now_ it all makes sense! We've been having such good fortune happen to us ever since Vivian was born is because she's a Zashiki Warashi!”

“A Zashi-what?” Arthur rose a brow, as did the twins.

“Zashiki-Warashi. They're yokai that are said to grant good fortune and great riches to the house they haunt. Assuming that the homeowner takes good care of them, that is. In short, they bring good luck in return for love and care. Their power isn't always consistent, but all the sources mainly say is that they love pranks and play tricks. Teleportation is among some of the things they're capable of doing when playing around. This also explains her long hair, it's because she's _always_ been in her other form.”

“Is that even possible for you?”

Elaine shook her head, "No, most of us can't use our monster forms for long periods of time, let alone months. It'll tire us out if we do that. For me, my longest record is about seventy-two hours.” She then rubbed at her chin in thought, "But the fact that Vivian is always in her other form can't be denied. I mean, she's been like this for a year and a half. Now that we know what her other form is, we might be able to finally get some answers on how to get her back to normal before she has to attend school."

Arthur looked at Vivian, who is still grinning up at him. If she really is a Zashiki Warashi, then all the good things that have been happening since she was born did make sense. Still, whether she had the power of good fortune or if she's somehow stuck in her yokai form or not, Vivian is a perfect little girl to him. He is determined to see to it that she grows up with all the love he could give her, just like he always had with Gwen and Percy.

 _Assuming I can live to see her reach that age_. He thought bitterly for a brief moment before shoving the thought aside.

A few weeks later, the family of five made sure to enjoy the concert to the fullest as a family. They were able to include Vivian because admission to those three and under were free.

* * *

…

…

…

_Why? Why did this have to happen?_

_I thought that... if we just waited and talked..._

_None of this would have happened._

…

…

…

_Where are you? It's so cold..._

_I just want to say that I'm sorry._

_Why aren't you coming back?_

…

…

…

_What have you done?!_

_It's too late! We can't fix this!_

_After everything he did for us!_

…

…

…

**AND IT'S ALL!**

**YOUR!**

**FAULT!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...?!
> 
> Zashiki-warashi are a rather unique yokai that, like Elaine has explained, bring good fortune to the household they inhabit. They are almost always depicted as young boys or girls with traditional Japanese garb. The hair length for a female isn't consistent, but I have seen depictions of them having various hairstyles that can range from bobcuts to long hair that is either braided or let out freely. In Vivian's case, it flows freely, because it can't be held back with hair bands for some reason. Since Zashiki-warashi are typical pranksters, I guess Vivian is also one since she teleports a lot? There's probably more to her than what it seems.
> 
> I guess Vivian could be compared to that one character from Pixar's The Incredibles I and II. ...Sort of.
> 
> Also, let's add people holding babies to the ever growing list of things I can't draw. As for Arthur's arm, keep in mind that his current prosthetic has a covering that makes it look like a real arm. You can barely see the detail revealing it if you look closely. (And I gave up on drawing four-fingered hands. I'm sticking to five fingers from now on.)
> 
> Anyway, as promised, I have more name origins.
> 
> Eleanor's daughters, Phoebe and Rhetta, are from Belphoebe and Amoretta, characters from The Faerie Queene. Melia's daughters, Dina and Olwen, are from Sir Dinadan of the Round Table and Olwen, both of which are Arthurian characters.
> 
> MS Dubuc is actually a shout out to the Mystery Skulls band itself, run by Luis Dubuc. Alberto Rodgers is named after two people. "Alberto" being Luis's middle name, while "Rodgers" is from Nile Rodgers, who has collaborated with Mystery Skulls a few times, notably for Magic and Number 1. Because the Mystery Skulls in the Animated series is named after the band, I thought it would be fitting that, in-universe, Vivi named the team after a band she really liked. In context, Vivi named her Mystery Skulls team after MS Dubuc's song "Mystery Skulls." Do keep in mind that this "song" doesn't actually exist in real life as of this writing.
> 
> So in Knights, MS Dubuc is a parallel of our world's Mystery Skulls, and MS Dubuc wrote all the songs that Mystery Skulls released except for Ghost, which is something Lewis made in this world. If Lewis hadn't made Ghost, Arthur wouldn't know the chorus he uses as a lullaby, so I had to make that adjustment.
> 
> ...What? You're asking how Vivienne is still around? She had her daughters pretty early in her life, for one thing, and she hasn't reached the age of ninety yet.


	11. Hope Trouble Never Finds Us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The song lyrics used for this chapter name is from _Together_ by Mystery Skulls.
> 
> Apologies for the delay, combined with my job training and final exams, I didn't have as much as I'd like to write this.
> 
> Next month will be even more busy, since I'll have to go through yet another round of job training on second shift.
> 
> _I got the harder times behind us..._

****_Fingers moved across the keyboard, typing words and looking through various searches while working on some documents._

_Thought back to the time before everything went sour. Knew something was wrong, but didn't do anything to stop it. Filled with shame ever since it was realized just how much impact that person left them. Mother made it very clear how disappointed she is when it was discovered what actually happened._

_A sigh. Decided to take a moment to look though something unrelated to work. Checked through articles that long distance friends had posted, browsing through them mindlessly until one post caught attention._

_It can't be... could it?_

_A hand trembled as it hovered above the keys._

“ _Ma-... Ma... kuh...!”_

\- - - - - - -

Arthur could hardly contain his grin as he waited for the children to come home.

The twins managed to graduate out of high school early, and best of all, they got accepted as students at the Cantabile Institute of Technology thanks to the prosthetic arm they made. An arm that could allow the wearer to feel things without it being to heavy on the body. The fact that two young kids had successfully made such an invention with feedback from Arthur was astonishing enough for a newspaper article to be made, which Elaine clipped out and framed.

The first model of the arm had been given to Arthur to test the functions, and both he and Elaine were ecstatic when he actually felt things through his left hand again. Granted, it wasn't the same back when he still had his real arm, but it was feeling nonetheless. The tears of joy he shed was no doubt something his family will never forget, especially after Elaine recorded his reaction. He tried to get her to delete it, but Elaine refused.

“ _Nope~! It's not everyday I see the star of my life be so happy!”_

Best of all, it's October 13th, the children's birthday! Gwen and Percy will turn fourteen today, and Vivian be three. Oh, how time flies! Not only will Arthur get to celebrate his older children getting accepted into a place where their skills will be pushed to the limit and then some, but also celebrate another year of being with his family.

As always, he repeated the same mantra whenever his children reach a milestone.

_You are okay, Arthur. This is your life now. Live for Gwen and Percy. Live for Vivian. Defy those who wanted your life to end, and live on. You matter to someone, and they need you. You are okay._

Taking a breath to steady himself, Arthur went back to his beloved's side.

While Caelia is keeping the kids in the dark by taking them out clothes shopping, Arthur and Elaine worked hard to put up the birthday decorations in a guest room in Niniane's mansion. The old woman wanted to make it a milestone birthday, both for the twins to get into a university, and for Vivian to reach the age of three as a rite of passage based on what her father had done for her back when he was alive. Arthur isn't really sure what she meant, but he shrugged it off and decided to ask her later.

Eleanor came by later with her two daughters Phoebe and Rhetta, bringing in multiple presents wrapped and labeled and ready to be ripped open. Morgan's husband Miles soon came by and brought the four cakes that will be used to celebrate the birthday, while Eleanor's husband Nicholas arrived some time later with bottles of soft drinks and some more presents.

Vivienne, whose age started to get the better of her, finally arrived with Morgan. Shortly before Vivian was born, Vivienne had to start using a wheelchair, which Arthur took the time to carefully build and customize just for her at the time. Thankfully, her mind is still intact, and thus she is able to continue being the matriarch of the Knights family.

(Caelia once mentioned that the title of matriarch will be passed down to her eventually, even though she feels Morgan deserves the role more. Morgan in turn would retort that Caelia deserves the title, since despite being the older sister, she doesn't have a monster form, and made Caelia drop the subject.)

Because all three of his children share the same birthday, combined with the fact that Vivian is still a toddler, it was decided that they make individual cakes for them. Gwen and Percy would share one cake (they insisted), while Vivian would have a smaller one made specially for her. The other two cakes were primarily extra for the rest of the family to eat. After all, you can't truly celebrate a birthday without having at least one slice of cake!

Elaine got a text from Caelia saying that she and the kids are on their way home. Upon hearing this, Arthur and everyone else started getting ready for the surprise. The many presents are set in a pile, and the cakes are in place. Elaine then got a text from Caelia saying that she'll enter the door first as planned, then have the kids come in right after.

“You have the poppers ready?”

“I do. You got the streamers?”

“Yep. Who's got the hats?”

“Get ready, guys. Mom's coming first, then the kids.”

Right on cue, Caelia came in through the door, gave Arthur and Elaine a nod, then gestured to the three outside.

“ _ **SURPRISE!”**_

“Waugh!”

“ _ **HAPPY BIRTHDAY, YOU THREE!”**_

“Mom, not cool!” Gwen was scrambling her arms to get the streamers out of her hair, yet she's smiling.

“Aw, man, you guys scared Vivian!” Percy looked down, showing more concern for his little sister than the surprise party itself.

Speaking of which, Vivian is curled on the floor, her hands over her head, looking like she's about to cry. Arthur couldn't help but chuckle as he kneeled down to comfort her, the little girl clinging to his shirt in response before observing her surroundings.

“Happy Third Birthday, Vivian,” Arthur smiled as he slid a party hat on his daughter's head while minding her long hair, “It's a special day for you, and your big brother and sister.”

Vivian looked up at him, still looking a little scared, but upon seeing the many birthday decorations and all her relatives, she started to perk up and turned to Elaine, “Thir...?”

“That's right, Vivian. Third,” Elaine giggled and held up three fingers, “You're three now, three years old. You're becoming a biiiig girl. Happy Birthday!”

The surprise birthday party, despite the rough start, has been a huge success. Photos of the birthday kids were being taken with family members, the birthday song has been sung, and the three were tearing through the presents like there's no tomorrow.

Arthur wasn't sure what to get for Gwen and Percy at first, but eventually settled for the newest game system and a handful of games he managed to pick up at a discount as the first set. Well, he'd be lying if he said he didn't want to play some of the games himself. The most recent Super Smash Bros. came out just a few months ago, after all. The second set of presents for the twins were some advanced parts for their recent projects. While Arthur and Elaine weren't exactly sure what the twins will do with them, but Arthur knew that each part will have their uses since they experiment so much.

There were many other presents, that ranged from clothes to tools and from toys to games. While Gwen and Percy were admiring the various parts and tools they received, Vivian constantly snuggled her new plush toy modeled after a white fox sitting on its hind legs. ...or was it a dog? Arthur couldn't really tell, since Niniane is the one who brought it, but at least Vivian is happy with it. Arthur then recalled the two stuffed animals the twins keep in their rooms, Gwen's gray turtle and Percy's orange alpaca. Has it really been eleven years since he gave those toys to the twins on their third birthday? Time sure does fly quickly.

Speaking of quickly...

“They're tearing through the presents fast,” Arthur turned to Elaine, “We better get the rest of them.”

“I'm on it, my knight,” Elaine kissed his cheek, “Keep an eye on Vivian?”

He nodded and chuckled softly. Her kisses are always so sweet...

After Elaine left the room, Arthur knelt down next to Vivian to watch her admire her new toy. The three-year-old poked at the ears and tail the fox (dog?) has, gave them light tugs, squeezed the legs with her small hands, then went back to hugging it. Seeing his youngest child examining the toy like that made him smile, happy that she is curious.

...Happy that he is able to celebrate her birthday with her.

“Dad-dee.”

“ _ **You took what should have been mine.”**_

...No. He can't think about it. He doesn't _want_ to think about it.

“Dad-dee?” Vivian looked up before reaching an arm out to him, her face showing a beaming smile, “Dad-dee.”

Smiling a little, Arthur wrapped his arms around Vivian. Even now, he finds it hard to believe that he is responsible for her existence, for Gwen and Percy's existence. The fact that he is married to a woman who loves him dearly, that he is a father to three amazing children who also love him dearly.

That he is _happy_. Happy and _safe_.

Granted, the nightmares of the wraith, kitsune, and demon still come and go, but all he has to do is wake up and he would find Elaine beside him. Even now, he still wondered what he did to deserve her, but then her words would echo in his mind. Words that she made sure to repeat at least once every day.

“ _I love you, my star.”_

Come to think of it, Elaine is taking a while. Concerned, he stood up while keeping Vivian in his hold. As Vivian started to babble about something, Arthur walked to the doorway and called out to his beloved, “Elaine?”

“I'm coming!”

Within seconds, Elaine came out from the room where the other presents were kept while holding three of the presents, two large and one small, in her arms. Arthur noticed that her fingers were a little tense, her right arm skeletal with a spectral glow like she does when she fights monsters.

“Sorry about that, my knight. There was a little... _uninvited guest_ that tried to crash the party,” Elaine shrugged with an assuring smile, “I know you don't like having them around, so I made sure it went bye bye.”

Arthur felt unnerved upon hearing that. A ghost? Shouldn't Niniane's home be full of protections that prevent exactly that from happening? Elaine didn't seem too concerned, and she has done this before in their house, so he didn't have a reason to doubt her, but...

“Pre-sanssss?” Vivian babbled before dropping her stuffed animal. She looked down and whined, trying to reach for it.

_Right, birthday first, ask questions later_. Arthur repeated that thought in his head as he knelt down to pick up the toy to give back to his daughter. This isn't the time to have doubts, and he promised himself that this would be an ideal birthday for the kids. He owed them that much. The nightmare from last night isn't real.

\- - - - - - -

_Arthur felt the wraith dragging him away by clenching his throat with a burning hand. He has trouble breathing, the pain in his neck indescribable._

_His whole being hurt, his energy sapped away. The cuts and bruises spread all over from being slammed against a wall multiple time before being dragged to another place he couldn't identify. His head pounded furiously, yet the blood that rushed into his head had been lost, allowing him to think more clearly slightly, yet unable to fully register the pain since he felt so numb. He has trouble seeing. The blood coming down from his forehead and the tears in his eyes didn't make it any easier._

_It's what he deserved, though. Because sorry isn't good enough. He shouldn't have ran away from the past. He couldn't run away from the wraith's desires. Not after what he did._

“ _ **Where are they.”**_

_Arthur didn't answer. He couldn't even if he wanted to. The wounds on his neck made it too painful to speak, let alone breathe. Even if he could talk, there is no way Arthur will allow the wraith to take his children as its own playthings._

“ _ **Where are they?!”**_

_The wraith slammed him against the ground upon demanding. Arthur barely felt what seemed to be plush carpet on the fingertips of his right hand, but his head felt like it was slammed against a hard surface. His vision began to darken and blur. He barely curled his lips into a smirk for a split second, as if attempting to talk._

_Well, all that monstrous wraith did was make it harder for Arthur to give it the answer it sought. Then again, the children aren't anywhere nearby. He knew they were hidden and safe._

_The wraith slashed at him, shredding his left arm into tiny unsalvageable little pieces with some blood mixed in. Arthur didn't have the energy to scream in pain anymore, not when the left side of his face had also been clawed at, blinding his left eye._

“ _ **You took what should've been mine.”**_

_He's aware. Painfully._

_Heh._

_The clawed hands were about to swipe at him again, but all of a sudden, the sound of roaring waves crashed through the silence._

_The fangs of a kitsune clamped down against his neck, and he saw red with splotches of blackened green._

\- - - - - - -

If Vivian hadn't climbed into his side of the bed back last night and woke him for attention, Arthur felt that he would never be able escape from that hellish dream. She is only three years old, and yet...

“...knight? My knight?”

“Uncle Arthur?”

Arthur snapped out of his stupor as he saw a hand waving in front of him. He thought it was Elaine at first, but then he realizes the title he was just called. Looking up to see who it is, he sees a tall and lean girl with short dark brown hair held up with an orange headband that barely reaches his height beside Elaine.

“Are you all right? Do you need to rest?”

He smiled, “I'll be fine, Phoebe. I do appreciate you watching out for me.”

He has a hard time believing that Phoebe, who turned nineteen just a few months back, has grown so much since the last major family reunion the year before. She looked concerned, as she usually is, and often worried for his well being in the few times they see each other. As she is the oldest in her generation, Phoebe was told of Arthur's past abuse from her mother, Eleanor. While Arthur felt fortunate in that Phoebe never pressed for details, he knew that she only meant well whenever she asked about his health, if maybe a little too often. As expected of a child in this family.

“Phoebe, how's Rhetta doing?” Elaine asked to switch the topic, “I wasn't able to ask her, since she's never interested in talking to me.”

“Oh, she's all right. She's at that phase where it's said that speaking to adults is considered 'uncool' at her school,” Phoebe sighed with a mix of annoyance and concern while tugging at the collar of her shirt, “I swear, peer pressure is not a fun thing. I'm having a hard time getting through to her, and I'm her sister.”

Arthur knew that term all too well. Back when he used to live in Tempo, Vivi and Lew--

“Dad-dee?” Arthur looked down and realized that he forgot that he's still holding Vivian. How that's possible, he isn't really sure, but...

_These memories won't stop haunting me even though it's been so long now?_

“My knight,” he looked up and saw Elaine smile lovingly at him, her arm already turned back to normal, “Let's get back to the party. Okay?”

He nodded, and after taking a moment to adjust his hold on Vivian, went back into the party room.

To Arthur, the rest of the events that happen is all a blur. As soon as he released Vivian from his hold, the toddler ran up to Gwen and Percy to tear open the presents, even the ones that weren't for her to the twins' chagrin. More toys, machine parts, books, and games were added, and soon, it was decided that it was time to eat the cake.

The twins shared slices from one cake while Vivian sat between them to eat her own. Because Vivian is just a small toddler, Arthur convinced Elaine to have a smaller cake with less sugar in it to be made for her, so it wouldn't make her as hyper, which she agreed wholeheartedly to. Vivian seems to like it, because she started to dig in to her cake with a spoon before the twins could even start to eat their slices.

“Heh heh! Vivian! You've got cake all over your face!” Gwen quickly cleaned the crumbs off around Vivian's plate.

“It's _cake_ , Gwen. Of course she's gonna go all over it,” Percy snickered.

Arthur heard the sound of a camera shutter and noticed Elaine has the camera on hand, taking photos of the twins laughing at Vivian being a mess. Gwen held up a napkin and started wiping some crumbs off Vivian's face while Percy watched with a wide grin.

  

He isn't sure why, but Arthur felt a weight lift itself from his shoulders. He felt lighter than usual as he watched his three children just being themselves.

_Happy Birthday, you three. Know that I love you all._

\- - - - - - -

A week later, it started snowing.

Granted, getting snow at this section of Tennessee isn't unusual, since Cantabile is a city within the mountains. Since many of these mountains have outskirts with wide open fields, it gave Gwen and Percy the time of their lives to transform into their yokai forms and let loose, while Vivian tried to follow by her newly discovered ability to fly.

It's funny in Arthur's mind, really. To think that he used to be so afraid of various things amongst the paranormal, but upon living and interacting with it on a daily basis ever since he married into the Knights family, some of it wasn't so bad anymore.

Maybe it's just because his children helped him find it fun somewhat.

“Come on, Vivian!” Percy dashed past Arthur and Elaine as a kitsune, bounding around the snow in wide circles, “Try to keep up!”

“You're still it!” Gwen, still in her human form with her hands and feet covered with an icy aura, ran over the snow with ease without leaving any footprints.

While Vivian flew around to chase her siblings in their impromptu game of tag, Arthur watched them with a smile on his face as he tried to keep up with them. Elaine had taken a job by herself and left with Eleanor this time for the weekend, since she felt that it was too dangerous for Arthur and the kids to come along. With that in mind, Arthur decided to spend some quality time with the kids, which led to their unique game in the mountains.

Although he doesn't have any powers to brag about other than his knowledge of robotics and machines, Arthur still has the ability to run fast for a long period of time even though he is in his late thirties. Running away from the paranormal and just wanting to escape from the horrors back in the old days, Arthur knew that he doesn't need to run away from his children with paranormal abilities, but to run alongside them.

He always did ever since they were born.

They were on a wide open hill within the mountains, broken only by a handful of trees at the top. Percy still ran as a kitsune, and Gwen took the opportunity to change into her wolf form to let loose. As the two raced downward, Vivian flew after them, trying her hardest to tag one of her siblings. Arthur ran after them from behind in a straight path, but soon he lost his footing and fell. Before he knew it, he kept rolling down the snowy hill.

He isn't sure how he did it, but soon he managed to recover his footing for a brief moment, only to fall to his back and slid down the snow even further, laughing once he heard the kids do the same thing.

~~It never snowed in Tempo, which is a desert town. He quickly shoved the thought aside.~~

Soon, Arthur managed to stop himself from rolling. A good thing, because once the adrenaline began to wear off, he started to feel tired and sore all over as his head felt like it was spinning a little. The area on his left arm where flesh meets metal began to feel cold, too. The sound of snow being crushed by footsteps caught his attention, and he turned and saw a golden fox's leg.

“Dad, are you okay?” Percy leaned against him.

He reached up to embrace his hold around his son's neck and buried his face against the fur. Is a kitsune's fur always this warm?

“Daddy, you're cold!” Gwen nudged her head against his back.

He looked up from Percy's fur and saw Vivian floating nearby, her cheeks looking rosy from the cold. He remembered helping her bundle up against the cold, but he guessed it can only do so much against windchill. Holding out his good arm, he beckoned Vivian to come to him, which she obeyed. As soon as Vivian came into his cold, he felt that even she is shivering.

“Dad-dee... C-cold,” Vivian muttered as she wrapped her arms around him for warmth.

“M-m-might be a g-good time to h-head home, then,” Arthur gave a low chuckle as he started to stand up, but Percy knelt down in front of him.

“Get on my back, Dad,” he said, “It'll be faster this way. The sooner we get you home, the sooner we can get you and Vivian warmed up.”

Arthur didn't argue. Under normal circumstances, Arthur wouldn't dream on riding on either of them while they were in their monster forms. For starters, it felt awkward to him, and the two were often rambunctious whenever they romp around. Second, as their father, he never wanted to exploit his children for anything other than loving them as his family.

The fact that Percy is insisting on helping him put that feeling aside. Arthur knew he needed to get home, if to get Vivian warmed up at the very least. It wouldn't do anyone any favors if she catches a cold. Arthur knew that he can handle it, but Vivian might be miserable.

The ride back to their home wasn't the smoothest, but Percy being so careful when running the trek back home made up for it.

Once they reached home, Arthur made sure to give Vivian a warm bath.

\- - - - - - -

The following Monday, Arthur is back at the university grading some worksheets the students did over the Fall Break. Normally, his boss Mr. Cromwell would be grading them, but the man had to go to a meeting with his fellow deans, so Arthur volunteered for the task until he came back. As a teaching assistant with his own office, it was the least he could do.

He still works at Four of a Kind Queens from time to time, mostly on the weekends. Elaine still works at the family shop, but she encourages Arthur fully when he works at the university, since the twins have been having a fantastic time learning new tip and tricks in the fields the university teaches with their father nearby. Well that, and the paycheck from the university is pretty good, too.

On Vivian's end, because her powers are so unpredictable combined with her young age, and that her hair is still unnaturally long, it was decided that she is to be home schooled for the time being. Elaine gave a reason to the education board that Vivian has some “special needs,” which is somewhat true.

“ _I don't want to get a school destroyed for the third time,” Elaine sighed as if reliving a bad memory, “This is for everyone's sake.”_

_Arthur whipped his head at her direction, “Wait, do_ what _a third time?”_

“ _Oh, nothing, just thinking about my school days. I had to be home schooled after I turned ten, so... yeah.”_

After he finished with the grading on paper, he had to put the grades themselves on to the online reports. A little annoying to do, since the online grading board is a bit finicky, but Arthur could tolerate it. Upon reaching the halfway point of inserting the grades, the phone rang, which he quickly answered.

“Cantabile Institute of the Robotics Division.”

“ _Are you... Arthur... Knights?”_

“That would be me, how can I help you?” He opened up a window that showed an online planner.

The man on the other line was silent.

“...Sir?”

“ _Ah, sorry, I, uh... got distracted. Let's see... I_ have _some_ questions _about the robotics program that my grandson was thinking of applying for next year. I would like to know what qualifications he would need and what classes he needs to take.”_

Arthur rose a brow, “Well, that should be on the school website under the Programs tab. Were you and your grandson able to find that, Mister...?”

“ _Ah...! Er, I-I'm..._ Snowfield _. Joe Snowfield.”_

_Rather nervous guy with a minor accent. Not that I'm any better on the nervous part._ Arthur shrugged, “Mr. Snowfield, got it. Did you find that tab I mentioned before you called?”

“ _I did, but I... have some questions and I was hoping I could_ meet _with you... personally.”_

“I'm actually just a teaching assistant, sir. While I can discuss how to properly register for the classes in which semester and graduate in four years, if you want the finer details for the university's robotics program while getting the official approvals for registration, you should talk to either Mr. Robert Cromwell, the dean, or to the actual instructors Ryan Kusey or Keith Matthews. They can give you more accurate answers than I can.”

Arthur could've sworn he heard Snowfield curse, but it's probably because of nerves. It's not unusual for grandparents to have a hard time, but...

“Does your grandson also have the surname Snowfield?”

“ _Er... Yes, he does.”_

“I'll give you the contact info for Keith Matthews since your surname is among the alphabet of students he handles. Could I have your contact info so I can pass it to him?”

“ _T-that won't be necessary! I-I can see his contact info here, so I will make sure to schedule an appointment with him. Do you know if Mr. Matthews will be here on Thursday?”_

“He's here all five days of the week, so I doubt you'll have any issues reaching him if you email him and if you're flexible with time.”

“ _I-I will do that. Thank you, Ar-- Mr. Knights._ ”

“You're very welcome, sir. Have a good day.”

“ _Bye.”_

Arthur hung up, shaking his head. It's not the first time he's had this kind of phone call, but that old gentleman had to take the cake. The man on the other line spoke as if he was overwhelmed by something, or had something else in his mind like he wasn't completely there. Arthur didn't think he or the university is that intimidating... right?

When he went back to his computer screen to add more grades in the online grade book, he glanced at the newspaper article he had framed, the article that had Gwen and Percy make that arm that contained a picture of the two standing proudly before their creation. A part of him did wish that he was among them when their achievement was acknowledged, but...

He shifted his focus back on the computer screen.

_I can't have them find me. I can't have them take me back. If they do..._

His fingers faltered.

_Who knows they'll do to the kids._

_Gwen. Percy. Vivian._

_I..._

_I'm so sorry you had to be born to a cowardly father like me._

His cell phone rang this time, and he answered it, “Hello?”

“ _Hello, my knight,”_ he recognized that wistful voice anywhere.

Letting out a breath with a silent exasperated laugh, Arthur shook his head.

_How is it that she always has such good timing?_

“My light,” he smiled, “What's up?”

“ _I thought I'd just call and say hello. A good thing I did, since you only call me your light whenever you're anxious. Did something happen?”_

“No,” he shook his head, “I was just thinking about whether I should use it more.”

“ _I wouldn't say no to that, my star.”_

As Arthur filled out the remaining grades, Elaine kept talking about every day things over the phone. She talked about Vivian missing her daddy, talked about how much she misses him, talked about how much she loved him.

“I love you, my star.”

“I love you, too... my light.”

Even to this day, Arthur doesn't really know what he did to deserve an amazing woman as his spouse.

\- - - - - - -

Three days later, Arthur is in his office again, and crossed off the former day on the calendar to show that it's Thursday today. Mr. Cromwell has to attend yet another meeting regarding the school board, but Arthur's not complaining. He opened the calendar on his computer to check for any appointments any students have signed up for, but so far, he only saw one. That Snowfield gentleman he spoke two earlier this week had booked an appointment with Keith Matthews like he suggested, so at least he won't have to worry about that.

“Let's see,” Arthur muttered to himself as he picked up the binder containing the assignments, “Yesterday was Robotics III, so today is Robotics II, so this means that the assignment that's due today is—”

Someone knocked on his door.

“Come in,” he turned to see the instructor he just thought about, noticing a cell phone in the man's hand..

“Hey, Arthur. Do you remember answering a call from a Joe Snowfield on Monday?”

“Yeah?”

“Well, I just got a call from my insurance agent regarding my wife's surgery, and I really need to take it. All Mr. Snowfield needs is a summary of the program and a list of the required tools. Could you help him on that while I get this taken care of? I already have the papers laid out to him out front, I just need you to explain the classes in a bit more detail.”

“Yeah, sure,” Arthur stood up from his desk and proceeded to walk out the door.

After his coworker left with a rather hasty thanks, Arthur rose a brow at the odd behavior before shrugging it off. Grabbing a small notepad, he left his office to greet the guest that his coworker left behind.

“Mr. Snowfield? I was told you need to know more about the program?”

“ _U...! Uso_... It... It can't be...”

Arthur took a moment to look at the man's face and went still, as did the man in blue standing before him. The man's arms went slack as he looked at Arthur with a stunned expression.

“It... It's really you,” the man, allegedly said to be Joe Snowfield, whispered out loud, the shock never leaving his face.

“ _Arthur.”_

It's Mr. Yukino.

Vivi's father.

\- - - - - - -

…

…

…

_What? What was... What was I doing?_

_It doesn't look like anything's happened, but..._

_Hey... are you okay?_

…

…

…

_Even now, I couldn't do anything to stop it._

_We've already hurt him enough as is._

_It... It may be time to let him go._

…

…

…

_Why?! How could you do this?!_

_None of us wanted this to happen!_

_I will_ never _forgive you!_

…

…

…

_How can I...?!_

_After all what you've...!_

_I...! I...!_

…

…

…

_**If you're...** _

_**If you're not happy here...** _

_**THEN JUST LEAVE!** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _I'm not freaking out._
> 
> _But it feels like time is running out._
> 
> _How did this shit come about?_
> 
> _I'm not freaking out._
> 
> _But...!_


	12. But I'm Afraid, Afraid of Losing You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _I'll just keep biting my tongue,_
> 
> _'Til all you want is done, alright!_

“ _Vivi, please. You have to remember. You_ need _to remember him!”_

“ _Augh... Arthur, for the last time, I don't. Just, please stop.”_

_Arthur lowered the strip of photos from Vivi's sight with confusion and despair. Why is this happening? Lewis is missing, Vivi can't remember him or whatever happened that night, while Arthur himself lost his left arm and couldn't remember what happened, either._

_It's rough. Vivi seemed content to go about on her own, but whenever an image of Lewis is seen, his name is heard, or even anything that could associated with her love, Arthur always saw that bit of purple haze forming over her eyes, preventing her from actually seeing or hearing._

_Arthur would be lying if he said that he wasn't jealous of Vivi and Lewis. Before Lewis and Vivi started dating, it was the three of them. A trio of friends. A trio of adventurers like the Three Musketeers or something among those lines. Vivi, Lewis, and Arthur. A friendship of three was enough. Then the two got together, and before he knew it, he was left out from the pack without him realizing it at first, and when he did, he felt a tightening feeling in his chest. It felt wrong, it_ hurt _, it caused him so much_ **pain** _ **.**_

_Why? Why does it hurt so much? Weren't they all friends?_

_Arthur wanted to ask to them about it, but he knew all it would do is bring discord. His pain didn't matter, he is just an extra. What is he supposed to feel? What is he supposed to do? He felt some happiness over the development, but at the same time, he felt so empty. They were going on like they forgot about him, as if his friendship with them never existed, and that hurt even more. The pain felt so bad that he considered leaving the Mystery Skulls after they handle one more case._

_One last case for him, and he will leave. Maybe talk to his uncle and see if he might have some answers._

_**And then** _ **everything** **_went_ wrong _._**

_He couldn't leave Vivi alone. Not after what happened. Lewis wouldn't want that. Until Lewis either comes home or is found, Arthur swore to take care of Vivi in his place. It was the least he could do for them. That's what friends_ do, _no matter how one feels._

_...Right?_

_So Arthur tried, again and again, to get Vivi to remember. He would show her pictures in multiple albums, the many pictures they took while on their adventures, tell her stories. Tell her happy memories, sad ones, funny ones, strange ones, frightening ones,_ memories of Lewis in general _. But no matter how often Arthur tells them, Vivi would always forget by the end of the day if not within the hour while suffering from migraine-like headaches._

 _Lewis would be_ devastated _at being forgotten. Arthur couldn't allow that to happen, he_ wouldn't _allow that to happen. It's not fair that_ he _could remember him while Vivi could not, and Arthur saw how much it pained Vivi when she couldn't remember. She would look at the photos on her own at times, and even though she sees the many images of Lewis, she still cannot remember what Lewis even looked like._

_It's just not fair._

_There were moments where it seemed like even_ he _was forgetting Lewis, and he_ hated _it. He needed to find Lewis, he has to find him. He can't forget him. If he does, then Lewis will never be remembered, never be found, never get the closure he and everyone else so desperately_ need.

_Even if it's only to make the pain in his chest finally go away at the very least._

_The Yukino family is grateful that Arthur helped with Vivi's care in the many times they couldn't. Her mother, known for her sunny and bright demeanor, cried and cried upon seeing Vivi's lack of memory and the blank look she displayed. Her father, known for his no-nonsense approach, could only watch with muted despair when any attempts at getting his daughter to recall what happened result in failure. Her grandmother being unusually quiet instead of showing her usual crankiness and skepticism. They could only feel relieved yet guilty when Vivi could easily recall them once Lewis is out of the discussion._

_The Pepper family. Oh, the wonderful family known for their sweet and spicy personalities. The father and mother that took in a lost child as one of their own, and in just over a decade to find their loved one gone and missing. They didn't know what to think upon realizing that Vivi couldn't remember, that their sweet son had been forgotten. They could only be grateful knowing that Arthur remembered, but it wasn't enough to ease their hearts. Their three little girls are too young to understand what happened, other than that their big brother is missing._

_Uncle Lance broke down upon seeing Arthur in the hospital bed, the only time Arthur ever saw his uncle shed tears. Arthur was told that he would've died had he not received immediate treatment after the animal attack. Arthur remembered being in shock upon realizing that his arm is just gone, and went hysterical upon seeing Mystery and he didn't know_ why _before being sedated._

_The hospital was hell. Arthur hated it. Despised it. Loathed it. Felt undeserving of the services. Vivi needed it more than he did due to her unusual selective amnesia. Lewis needed it more than he did._

_But Lewis isn't here._

_Arthur_ screamed _with wailing grief. Not wanting to accept it._

 _As soon as he got out of the hospital, he worked himself to the_ bone _to make that prosthetic arm that soon became his trademark. A trademark he_ hated _. He hated associating it with Mystery, who gave him a special strain of fear that would_ not go **away.**

_During the time it took to go through the physical therapy, Arthur would help Mr. and Mrs. Pepper by watching over their three girls. Belle, Cayenne, and Paprika were all too young to fully understand what happened to Lewis, other than that he is not home for the time being. Belle seemed to have an idea what is truly going on, and the expression Arthur saw on the eldest girl's face made his heart ache. A child like her shouldn't have to go through the loss of a loving big brother. He tried to distract her by showing her some simple toys that ran with gears, and taught her how to take them apart or put them together._

_Cayenne didn't prank him at all when the first one she did after Arthur got out of the hospital nearly ended in disaster. Seeing Mystery's head covered with red sauce was enough to make Arthur pass out with terror, and Cayenne, realizing the severity before her parents could scold her for it, refrained from doing any pranks on him since. Under normal circumstances, Arthur would've welcomed it, but it didn't feel right without Lewis being there to scold and give the middle child attention like he usually does. He couldn't help but actually feel slightly disappointed when he found that Cayenne hadn't spiked his milkshake with hot sauce for once._

_Paprika. Oh, sweet little Paprika. The youngest one who adored Lewis and Arthur, often asking the former for rides on his shoulders, the latter for help on fixing her toys. Arthur knew that out of all of them, Paprika took Lewis's disappearance the hardest. Who would be there for her the next time she has a scary dream when her parents, already in grief from the news regarding their son, would be exhausted from managing and cooking from seven in the morning to four in the late afternoon?_

_Arthur knew that he isn't anywhere as ideal as Lewis for the three little Peppers, but he tried to help fill the void for them until their brother is found._

_Because that's what friends do._

_As soon as he was able, he started his search. He had to look for Lewis. Vivi only went with him so he wouldn't crash and burn, and she is all for paranormal investigations. She made a cheerful comment saying she's eager to go on a mission that Arthur accepted for once._

_They searched through so many places. Places they remember looking through, places they previously investigated, places they were going to investigate, areas that seemed out of place._

~~_But they couldn't find the_ cave.~~

_Arthur did his best to protect Vivi, who often went into things head on without considering the dangers, in Lewis's place. When the van mysteriously broke down in front of that haunted mansion, Arthur went along with Vivi and Mystery to see if any clues to Lewis's whereabouts might be in there or even if someone might be willing to help, but things started to spiral downwards from here on out._

_When that ghost declared to it was Arthur it hated the most, Arthur knew he had to get Vivi out of here. If she were to get hurt by the ghost armed with fire and powers that defied all sense, he knew Lewis wouldn't forgive him if Vivi got hurt. That heart had to be a_ trap _. There are ghosts and spirits and_ monsters _out there that would tempt unwitting and desirable people with a “treasured” item to lure them to their doom, and Vivi just about had that heart in her_ grasp _._

_Arthur didn't think twice when he moved to grab Vivi's hand and take her away from the danger. It's what Lewis would've done, and Arthur knew Lewis wouldn't forgive him if he left Vivi to be taken by that ghost's trap._

_Sure enough, that ghost wasn't happy when Arthur took away its prey. The resulting explosion only served to prove that the ghost is more dangerous than they can handle._

_They barely managed to escape with their lives. Arthur shoved Vivi into the van and drove off with a high speed. How the van is working again in the spur of the moment, Arthur has no idea. He's pretty sure the transmission got chewed up because of it, but once they're in a safe area, he can pull over to fix it with the meager tools he has until they drive back to Kingsmen Mechanics._

_He hoped Lewis is okay. He hoped Lewis will be okay with him for trying to hold the fort in his place. He hoped Lewis will be thankful that Vivi is safe._

_He hoped that Lewis will be happy with his efforts to bring them all together again._

_Still... maybe once they find Lewis, they might be able to come back for the ghost and hopefully help it. No matter what, a ghost should always be able to find rest._

_Lewis always had a way with words, and he has been able to help convince more than a fair few ghosts into letting go and moving on. Maybe Lewis can help convince the ghost that Arthur isn't to blame for its hatred._

…

_But then..._

_**It burned.** _

* * *

 

“I-I can't trust this. I don't trust this at all,” Arthur shook his head while holding a small business card with four logos with a shaking hand.

Arthur and Elaine were in the living room sitting on the sofa. He tried to keep his breath steady, but he can only do so much.

“But the letter's from your uncle, right?” Elaine rose a brow as she read the letter again, “The one you've been sending letters to all these years?”

“Well, yeah, but... It's just... why now? I haven't sent him a letter in almost four months. It's just...” Arthur let out a breath of resigned frustration and set the card on the counter, “I don't like this. I don't like this at all. It's just... the fact that they _found_ me is--”

“Are you thinking of going?” Elaine thankfully cut him off.

He struggled to keep the tears from forming, “Are _you?_ We never involved anyone from my side at all. I didn't want anyone from Tempo to _know_.”

* * *

_Arthur could only stare, a feeling of dread bubbling up in his throat._

_For over seventeen years, Arthur had been away from Tempo. For fifteen years, he has been married to Elaine. For fourteen years, he has been a father to boy and girl twins and a little girl. For over seventeen years has he been safe. For all that time with Elaine, he has been happy. Some problems here and there, sure, but it was_ happy.

So why? _Why is someone from Tempo here? He looked down slightly with a glowered expression while trying to keep his nerves from betraying him._

“ _Arthur,” Mr. Yukino slowly shook his head and smiled while looking relieved, “It really_ is _you. Is this where you've been all this time?”_

“ _You need me to explain the program to you, 'Mr. Snowfield'?” Arthur narrowed his eyes, “For your 'grandson,' if memory serves me right?”_

“N-nani?” _He blinked, confusion spreading over his face, “Ah... What?”_

_Arthur took his cell phone out from his pocket, pulling up the university's app. While on the pretense of searching through the app, he made a move to try sending a text to Elaine, hoping that she can get Gwen and Percy out from the school before Mr. Yukino notices. He has to get the kids out of here. If anyone from Tempo finds out about them, who know what could happen?! He will not let those monsters take them!_

“ _For starters, your grandson will need a transcript from--”_

_Mr. Yukino grabbed his shoulder and held up a yellow envelope, “Arthur, I'm not here for that! I finally found you, just hear me out! We need your help! Please!”_

**Who gave you the right to touch anyone?**

_Automatically, Arthur swatted Mr. Yukino's hand away. He wasn't allowed to be near Vivi, even when she was the one to reach out. No doubt it extended to Vivi's family, as well. It didn't matter if Mr. Yukino looked conflicted or hurt, Arthur didn't want to risk the wraith's wrath._

“ _What,” Arthur spoke through gritted teeth, “Are you doing. I am not going--”_

“ _Then at least read this! Please!” the older man pleaded and held the envelope out to him again, “It's from your uncle!”_

_Mr. Yukino tried to make another grab at Arthur. Arthur's sight became distorted as that damned voice echoed with his heartbeat._

“ _Arthur--”_

**Who gave you the right to be near her?**

“ _GET AWAY FROM ME!”_

“What's going on here?!”

* * *

Arthur is _really_ glad that his boss had returned upon hearing the commotion at that time and allowed him to take a two week leave. He doesn't have to come back until finals week to recover. He had no idea what happened to Mr. Yukino after security escorted him out, but Arthur couldn't bring himself to care now that he has been found.

_Why? After all this time, he has been happy living this life. Away from his toxic past. Why did someone from back then have to find him now? He had thrown it all away and left like they wanted! Even now, they still try to forcefully bring him back?_

“Still, you trust your uncle, and he's asking that you come visit him for Thanksgiving,” Elaine said, “I don't think that's out of the ordinary. We don't have our reunions at Thanksgiving, anyway, so we can go to this. We can just visit him and no one else.”

“Elaine, even if I _did_ consider going, I wouldn't _dream_ of bringing you guys with me,” Arthur gripped at his sleeves and shivered, “I mean, what are _they_ going to do if they see you all? I don't want to imagine what might happen if those _monsters_ got a hold of the kids.”

He tried to blink back the tears, but soon they started falling. It's over. His life with the Knights family is all over now that someone from Tempo has found him. He didn't even know how Mr. Yukino did it. He thought he was so _careful_. Where, when, and how did he mess up? Whatever it is, it's the reason it's all over for him. Soon, he will never be able to hold Elaine again and see her smile, or encourage Gwen and Percy all the way, or be there for Vivian whenever she cries. Soon, he won't live to see another day, live to see the kids grow up, live to--

His thoughts were interrupted when Elaine took his hands to hers.

“Your uncle also requested in his letter that we bring the kids along,” Elaine shrugged, “Gwen and Percy are fourteen, and they've had about seven years to refine and control their power, so I'm not worried about them. We'll have to make some extra protection charms for Vivian so she doesn't hurt herself or others, but I can ask either Mom or Aunt Morgan to come with us as a safety precaution. I'd bring Eleanor, but she's still in Montana with her husband.”

“S-Shouldn't we just not go? And if we did, we can't take Vivian. She's only three, she's too young to control herself even with the charms if one of us isn't around.”

_Because out of all three, Vivian is the most vulnerable._

Elaine gave him a look as if he stated something ridiculous, “Arthur, you _know_ very well that Vivian gets antsy when you're away. Besides me, you're the only one who can truly calm her down when she's upset or loses control of herself. And who can say that she won't try to escape and follow us all the way to Tempo? She's done that once before while you were at the university, remember?”

“Well, yeah, but I don't have powers like you guys do. I can't protect you from the monsters that are there!”

She rose a brow, “Arthur, who do you think you're talking to?”

Arthur blinked, then slapped a face against his forehead. He felt like an idiot. Did he seriously forget in his panic that Elaine comes from a family of monster hunters?! Now there's nothing that could convince her to stay away from Tempo! If he goes back, then it's only a matter of time before that wraith finds him to finish him off, or that kitsune that took his arm will come back for more.

“Elaine, you don't understand, I--”

“ _Arthur. Elaine.”_

Both Arthur and Elaine looked to the side to see who called to them.

“Nana Niniane,” Elaine moved her hand away from Arthur's face as the old woman approached, “When did you get here?”

“I heard from your mother that Arthur is having some trouble, so I came here to see what the commotion is about.”

Arthur occasionally forgets that Niniane can basically come in and go as she pleases. No one seems to complain about it, though.

Elaine held out the letter to her relative, and Niniane took her time to read it. The old woman's brow slowly rose, but otherwise her typical frown didn't change.

* * *

_Arthur,_

_I know that it has been many years since I have last seen you, and months since your last letter. I have long accepted that you will not come home, but I've heard you have a family over there now. Will you and your family come over for a Thanksgiving visit at the very least? Your kids should have a break from school by then, don't they? I just want to see that you're okay and meet the people that have made you happy with my own eyes._

_There are so many things I want to ask, but over the years I have accepted that I will not get any answers. I do have an idea on why you left, and in the chance that it is true, I will not involve the Peppers into that matter. However, I do ask that you do not blame Nobuhiro Yukino for this, for he and his family will not involve themselves in this either if that is what you wish._

_I'm not sure if Nobuhiro said anything, but we all need your help. You're the only one who can help us make things right. Although it may not solve everything, I do want everyone to obtain closure, including yourself. We all just want the sadness and misunderstandings to end._

_Even if you don't consider Tempo your home anymore, know that you will always have a place to return to here at Kingsmen Mechanics._

_I miss you, Arthur. I really do._

_\- Lance Kingsmen_

* * *

“I see here that this letter isn't stamped,” Niniane viewed the letter with distaste before glancing at Arthur, “I take it it was hand delivered?”

Reluctantly, he nodded.

“And who is this 'Nobuhiro Yukino' that is mentioned in the letter?”

“The father of someone I used to know, and the one who found me,” he trembled, “I don't know how he did it.”

“I see,” Niniane set the letter aside and picked up the card, “And these four logos?”

As much as Arthur didn't want to answer, he knew that Niniane wouldn't accept his reasoning, “The wrench with the crown is the logo for Kingsmen Mechanics. It's the auto repair shop my uncle owns that doubles as his house, it's also where I used to live. The snowflake is,” he sighs, “The crest of the Yukino family. Nobuhiro is from that family.”

“And the half-black, half-white skull and the odd question mark?”

Arthur turned away while grasping his left forearm. He tried not to tremble, but the areas where he suffered those awful burns around his shoulders, chest, and neck began to ache. He tried to answer, but all that came out was a shaky breath.

“I see.”

He looked up and saw Niniane look at the card with disdain.

“So these two indicate the monsters that hurt you. Abused you, even. All for something you had no control over if _memory recalls.”_

Elaine gently tilted Arthur's head to her direction, and gave him a questioning look to him and his prosthetic. He knew what she was going to ask. He narrowed his eyes in hopes of avoiding her gaze, but soon nodded slowly. Elaine, to her credit, held a steady expression.

“Arthur, do you really not want to see your uncle again? This may be your only chance, and you've been hiding away from your past for all these years. You escaped from your abuse,” Elaine bit her lips, “But you had to deal with so many nightmares as a result. I feel that if we don't go and help confront your fear, you'll never be able to fully move on.”

He gritted his teeth. He couldn't deny it. He wanted to see Lance at least one more time.

“My star,” he felt Elaine's hand lift his chin to her line of sight, “I'm well aware that it was those monsters that hurt you, and I promise you that if they're still there, and if they try anything, I will do _everything_ in my power to protect you. _I just want you to heal._ You've been here for me, so now I will be there for you.”

The tears started to fall again. He couldn't let Elaine or the kids go to Tempo. If that wraith is still around, and he's sure it is, he feared that it will only be a matter of time before he is taken prisoner by it for its own amusement like it was before. Percy heavily resembles him, and Arthur knew that the wraith will make his son suffer the same fate should it encounter him. Who knows what it could do to Gwen, who might also be tortured just for being his daughter. He definitely didn't want to imagine what would happen if the wraith ever gets it hands on Vivian, who is too young to properly defend herself.

And if that kitsune had any motives against the children, it might hurt them and then not regret it for a second like it did against him...

“Arthur, my knight, do you remember what we promised each other on the day we got married?”

He looked up at her.

“That no matter what obstacle comes in our way, we are to take them head on together,” she gave him a resolute nod, “So I will go with you to Tempo.”

Arthur was about to protest again before cutting himself off. He knew he ran out of arguments to present to Elaine and Niniane. Soon, he gave out a long breath he didn't realize he was holding.

“I'm,” he held a hand over his face before moving it away with a heavy breath to grasp at the wedding ring he wears as a necklace beneath his shirt, “I'm not fully on board with this, but you're right. We might as well just get this over with. We'll go. If anyone is to get hurt, it'll most likely be m--”

“I will not let anyone or _anything_ harm my family,” Niniane spoke with a sharp tone, “If anyone tries to harm you, I will to see it that they will regret their actions.”

Elaine rose a brow, “All right, but I was planning on asking Mom or Aunt Morgan to come with us.”

“You may always ask if either of them wishes to come. However, the both of them are busy maintaining the family shop and taking care of your grandmother, who is not in a state to be traveling. Tom and Miles are also busy with their jobs, and they have already been signed up for plans that allow them to visit their side of the families for Thanksgiving. Besides,” Niniane leaned down to Elaine, “You will need help caring for little Vivian.”

Arthur and Elaine looked at each other.

Elaine shrugged, then conceded, “Very well. You have my thanks, Nana Niniane,” she turned to Arthur, “We do need to let the kids know about this sometime soon.”

“It may be better to tell them now,” Niniane looked up at the ceiling with a brow raised, which lead in the general direction to the bedrooms, “Provided they are still awake, that is.”

Arthur, with his heart already feeling heavy enough as it is, started to make his way up the stairs with Elaine following behind him while Niniane stayed behind. He heard some fast movements, but didn't think anything of it when he knocked on Gwen's bedroom door and opened it.

“Oh, you're all here,” Arthur smiled at the sight of Gwen and Percy playing with Vivian and her tinker toys, or at least looked like they were about to start, “We need to talk for a bit.”

The twins looked at each other and blinked, while Vivian stood up and slowly walked to Arthur, grabbing at his clothes. Smiling slightly, he picked her up, then sat down on Gwen's bed.

“What's going on, Dad?” Percy asked.

“It's been decided that we're leaving to meet with family on the Friday before Thanksgiving,” Arthur said, “But it won't be with your aunt Eleanor or uncle Nick or with everyone else you know. Instead, we'll be visiting...” He really didn't want to say it, but he gave out a deep sigh, then started talking again, “We'll be visiting your grand uncle Lance in Tempo, Texas.”

The reaction is immediate, both Gwen and Percy did a double take, while Vivian looked up at him.

“Wait, we have another grand uncle besides Miles?” Gwen asked, “How come he wasn't at the family reunions?”

“Those at the reunions are all from my side of the family,” Elaine explained with a patient grin, “The grand uncle we'll be visiting is from your father's side. In other words, we'll be visiting Arthur's uncle in a little over a week.”

“Grampa?” Vivian mumbled.

“No, Vivian, 'grand uncle,'” Arthur corrected, “I'd rather we do not involve my parents in this.”

“What happened to them?” Gwen asked.

“Let's just say... the less we talk about them, the better,” he looked away, “I haven't spoken to them ever since I was eighteen. I'd rather keep it that way.”

Arthur noticed that Elaine gave the twins a look that told them not to press further. Vivian, who is no doubt too young to properly understand what is going on, gripped at his shirt and looked up.

Arthur's chest ached at the sight. For a brief moment, he wished that Vivian wasn't born at all, since it would mean that she wouldn't be around to see all the horrors that he will face as soon as he reaches Tempo. He does agree with Elaine that the twins can handle themselves, but with Vivian at the tender age of three and having trouble controlling her power, he knew that's she's as helpless as a normal three-year-old could get.

“Tempo is about a fourteen hour drive away from here, so it will take us two days to drive over there. We'll have to stop by a motel on the halfway point,” Elaine explained to the kids, “Like I said, we'll be leaving the Friday before Thanksgiving, and be there by Saturday evening. We'll be spending a week there and leave on Saturday morning after Thanksgiving. Do you get what I'm saying so far?”

The twins nodded, as did Vivian, although Arthur figured she's just copying her siblings.

“So what I need the both of you to do is to get your laundry done by Thursday, and gradually pack some changes of clothes. I will be sure to find a hotel that has a laundromat nearby so we can wash them when needed. You're welcome to bring at least two of your projects in this trip to show your grand uncle, but I do ask that they're not to be too big to fit in the van. Do you understand?”

The twins nodded again.

Arthur then spoke up, “The desert surrounding Tempo is known to have paranormal elements. There may be more there ever since I left, so I don't know how strong they are,” he held his left hand out to the twins, “So when we get there, I want you to stay close to me and your mother. And if by some chance you can't, always stay close to each other, and help protect Vivian. Understand?”

Gwen and Percy looked at each other with a concerned look, then Gwen took his hand and nodded.

“We'll be careful, Daddy.”

“That's a promise we'll keep,” Percy added as he also took Arthur's hand, “We'll make sure Vivian stays safe.”

“Pom-ise. Pom-ise,” Vivian leaned closer against him.

Arthur gave a small breath of amusement at Vivian's attempts to speak a new word and smiled ruefully.

_Gwen. Percy. Vivian._

How he wished they wouldn't become involved with anyone from Tempo.

It was at this moment that he knew, that he could only protect this happiness for so long.

* * *

_It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts. **It hurts.**_

_All because he said didn't want it._

_It may have been something he wanted at one point, but didn't know for sure. He didn't understand why he felt so alone despite being with those he thought were his best friends._

~~_No, he knew why, but that's not how it should_ work. _It's all_ wrong.~~

_The punishment from the vengeful wraith hurt so_ badly _, for both his body and his soul. He knew he deserved it, since he is the one who killed his best friend while under the demon's influence, but he didn't want the pain anymore after so many_ times _. He already knew what he did, the sin he will forever bear for the rest of his life and beyond. Falling victim to possession, unable to fight it off, unable to throw himself off to save his friend despite his efforts._

_His heart ached painfully enough._

_Why did everything go so wrong? Why did they have to ask that question?_

_He couldn't take it anymore._

_There's no one who could help him._

_For almost half a year, he could let them do whatever they wanted with him._

_But he couldn't let them have the only thing he has left, not after all this._

_With a heavy heart, before he could fully process what he was doing, he had gone to the bank and withdrew a decent amount of his savings, went to Kingsmen Mechanics to pack the tools, clothes, and other minor essentials that he could, put Galahad in a travel cage, bought a bus ticket, started to leave, and..._

“ _Arthur, where are you going?”_

_Arthur saw his uncle give him a concerned look, which isn't something the older man is known for doing._

“ _Hey, I...”_

“ _Where are you going?” Lance repeated, “You don't need to take a bus to get back home, I could just drive you back.”_

“ _N-no, it's not that,” Arthur shook his head, “It's just... They're not expecting me back until Thursday, so I thought I could take the next two days to give myself some... time alone. To think.”_

“ _Like a vacation?” Lance blinked, thrown off by his nephew's words, “I guess that could do you some good. Where at?”_

_Arthur didn't answer. He hoped he didn't have to say anything to his uncle, but he knew he had to leave soon, “Just anywhere but here, really.”_

“ _Wait, Arthur,” Lance grabbed Arthur's arm, “What happened back at Lewis's place?”_

_Arthur is glad that Lance grabbed his left arm, or else Arthur would have cried out in pain and drop Galahad's cage. The bruises on his arm, chest, neck, and back hurt so much, and he knew that if Lance caught on, then Vivi's remaining happiness will shatter for good. It would be cruel to tear the Peppers apart again._

“ _We had a disagreement about some... future possibilities,” Arthur tried to answer as truthfully as he could without disclosing the actual reason. The best lies always have some truth mixed in, “I just need some time for myself to clear my head.”_

“ _Arth-”_

“ _Lance, please,” he set Galahad's cage aside on a nearby table and looked at his uncle dead in the eye, “I_ need _this. I just, I just want to be able to think about things without anyone saying anything. I just need some time away from here. I just...” His breath hitched, “I need a_ break _, Lance._ Please. _I'll even call you once I reach my destination.”_

_Destination. Hah! Not even Arthur himself knew where he is going, and he already removed the SIM card from his phone. He just wanted to get away from Tempo before the Mystery Skulls catch on and not find him to drag him back like a prisoner. He won't let them take the only thing about him that's left._

_His uncle looked like he wanted to ask more questions, but instead the older man took Arthur into his arms. Arthur stiffened and bit his tongue to stop himself from grunting in pain._

_Lance isn't known for being directly affectionate, so why is he...?_

“ _Call me if you ever need anything, Arthur. Okay?”_

_Arthur nodded, and with only last look at Lance, he left Kingsmen Mechanics with his backpack and Galahad in tow._

I have to hurry. Hurry. Before they _notice_.

“ _Wait.”_

_Arthur turned to his uncle again, who held a set of keys._

“ _I'll drive you to the bus stop.”_

_Thankfully, Lance didn't ask any questions after that. With his uncle's help, Arthur made it to the bus stop with a few minutes to spare. Seeing Lance wave at him is the last thing Arthur saw before he turned away as the bus left with him inside._

I'm sorry, Lance. _Arthur looked down at Galahad gnawing on a seed._ But I can't ever come back here.

_This is it. He made the final step of boarding the bus and riding on through. There is no turning back now. With this decision, he has abandoned everything he knew. His home, his only family, the van he spent so much time maintaining... and the ones he thought were his friends._

_...No, he knew he is hated now. Hated for not handing it over when they asked for it. Hated by everyone when everything went wrong because he is so weak._

_When the bus left the town border, Arthur started humming to himself. At first it was just random notes, but before he knew it, he started humming the tune that the Deadbeats would sing. His voice trembled as he hummed, trying to conceal the nervous yet relieved and gleeful laughter bubbling up in his throat, his breath hitching as tears of relief began to fall._

_He is finally,_ finally _out of the hell that was his so-called 'home.'_

_His humming stuttered._

T-this time I m-might just d-disap-p-pe-e-ear~

* * *

The next two days passed without incident, but Arthur knew that the day he would be returning to Tempo, and thus lose everything, is getting closer by the hour.

His nightmares returned with a vengeance once again. The wraith would torture him and attempt to take the children, all three being depicted as defenseless babies at different times, or he would have his throat bitten in half by the kitsune that took his arm, or he would be tormented by the sight of blackened green while hearing the screams of the Mystery Skulls.

He didn't want to wake Elaine every hour of the night for her to be there for him, so he tried to tough it out by staying awake all night to watch over Vivian as she slept. It didn't go as intended, of course, since Elaine soon caught him still awake and would coax him to bed. Arthur could only tremble as Elaine held on to him throughout the night before sleep finally claimed him.

Arthur went with Elaine to Four of a Kind Queens to give himself the opportunity to teach Vivian about the family trade. Elaine went into the front with her aunt and mother to do the main work, while Arthur remained in the always closed off fifth garage, showing Vivian various wrenches, screwdrivers, and other tools that were relatively safe to show to a three-year-old. The little girl took a liking to a small combination wrench, and Arthur made a mental note to look for a toy resembling it later before he leaves for Tempo.

It would be the last thing he could gift her. He wondered if Vivian will remember him once he dies, then made the sad conclusion based on her age: Probably not.

“ _What are you doing here?!”_

Arthur and Vivian jumped and turned to the door.

“M-Mama?” Vivian sounded scared. It made sense, because Elaine isn't known to raise her voice around others. Even when angry, Elaine is usually the whole “tranquil fury” type of woman.

“ _Please, I just need to talk to Arthur! I--”_

“ _We are not interested! You have already left the letter to us! Leave at once!”_

Arthur's blood went cold upon hearing the foreign voice. Mr. Yukino found out about this place, too?! Why?! He left Tempo because they wanted him to! Why are they trying to contact him after so long?!

Not taking a chance to think twice, Arthur took Vivian inside Vivienne's home. The last thing Arthur wants is for Vivian to get scared, or expose his daughter to the man searching for him that is just inside the shop's lobby. He hoped that Vivi isn't with her father, otherwise that meant the wraith is with her, and that will mean that the wraith will take away his only reasons of living, and--

“Arthur? Is everything all right?”

He set Vivian down and saw Vivienne approach him with her wheelchair. The old woman that is his grandmother-in-law, nearly reaching ninety years of her life, gave Arthur a look of concern.

“Yeah, it's just,” He tried to answer her truthfully, but struggled to find the right words, “It looks like there's an unwelcome customer in the shop.”

Vivienne rose a brow and looked at the doorway.

“I see. I will go and look,” she started to wheel her way to the garage before stopping to give Vivian, her great-granddaughter, a gentle poke on her cheek as a sign of affection, then left to see the shop lobby. When the door opened, Arthur could hear the yelling persist.

_“-- don't understand! My mother Fuyuko had--!”_

Arthur picked up Vivian again and went into the living room, further away from the shop, and sat down on the sofa with Vivian in his lap. He's is glad that Gwen and Percy are at the university for a Saturday club activity, and that they won't be back for another few hours. The last thing any of the kids need is hearing the crazy drama going on.

...all because of him.

His chest ached, just like how it used to do so many years ago. Placing a hand over his face, Arthur tried to keep his emotion under control. He took slow breaths, knowing it wouldn't do if Vivian saw him break down.

Soon, in less than a week, Arthur's life will be lost.

“I love you, Vivian. You know that, right?”

Vivian looked up at him with an unreadable expression. Smiling sadly, Arthur's brow furrowed as he held her close, rubbing the back of her head.

“Daddy?” Vivian reached up to touch his face, “Love Daddy?”

He put his hand over hers. Sometimes, it's easy forget that she's only three. He often wonders at just what goes through her mind at times.

“Yeah, Vivian. Love you, too.”

…

The timer keeps going down.

“Arthur?”

He looked up, seeing Elaine smile at him sadly.

“Mama,” Vivian reached out.

“My knight,” she said as she held her daughter's hand and look at him, “How are you holding up?”

“I'm... all right,” he nodded a little and released Vivian from his arms so Elaine could hold her, “I... What happened at the shop?”

“You remember that Nobuhiro Yukino guy that approached you at the school two days ago?”

He tensed, then nodded again.

“He really wanted to talk to you, but I know you have no intention of doing that. Once he got the hint, he did one thing that might throw a wrench in our plans of going to Tempo next week.”

“...What did he do?”

“He hired us for a job to... help someone, so to speak. There's a ghost in Tempo that's been sealed in an old mansion inside a forest within the Tempo outskirts. He wants us to help it find eternal rest.”

Wait, what?

“Arthur, I have to ask you something, and I need you to answer me honestly.”

Reluctantly, he answered, “What do you need to know?”

Elaine looked like she is struggling to speak, then took a deep breath and asked.

“Before you left Tempo, did you know anyone named Lewis Pepper?”

* * *

…

…

…

_Why?! Why did this have to happen to us?!_

_Why did everything have to go so wrong?!_

_Did we think that little of him?!_

…

…

…

_Why didn't we listen?_

_The danger was so obvious._

_And yet..._

…

…

…

**HOW COULD YOU DO THIS?!**

**YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST WALK AWAY?!**

**I CURSE YOU! I CURSE YOU!**

…

…

…

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Maybe there's no guarantee..._


	13. And There's Nowhere to Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _'Cause the world might do me in!_
> 
> _**And there's nowhere to run!** _
> 
> _There's no turning back!_

…

…

…

What? What's going on?

_I know I cannot be forgiven._

Is that... Why are...?

_Even though I wasn't in full control, my actions were inexcusable._

No... My voice... I can't...

_I do not blame him for what he did._

No... I deserve the blame.

_If anything, I deserve this hell for all that happened._

No... I do... I deserve this punishment for what happened.

_That being said..._

N-No! No! Please! Stop it! Why is this happening?!

_I will not let him become your plaything!_

I just want to fix everything!

_For it's you I hate the most!_

Is that... too much to ask?

…

_No! This can't be true! I...!_

_I never wanted this to happen!_

_Why did this have to happen to us?!_

_I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!_

…

Please... why won't you pick up?

Why won't you answer?

I'm begging you...

I just want this to end...

...

_When will the nightmare end?_

It's all my fault... I made it worse...

_All this suffering... is my fault._

**_How_ can I _ever_ fix _this?_**

...

…

…

…

…

…

_The counter went down by the day. By the hour. By the minute. By the second._

_By the heartbeat._

_Once the countdown reaches zero, it will be all over._

_And Arthur is powerless to stop it._

_Arthur looked up, the guillotine's blade still remained high above his head. As the timer ticked on down. No matter where he moved, so did the blade. Once the timer ends, it will fall, and so will he. He will have no chance at getting away, no chance at getting home, no chance of holding his wife or children again._

_No chance of fixing things._

_He kept running through the halls that are shaded a deep purple. He remembered this place, the place that became the home of the wraith. It's the home that became his hell, the hell he escaped from. The hell he is forced to return to. His left arm is lost, leaving drops of red as he ran._

“ _ **Fuck, it's**_ **you** ** _I hate the most!”_**

_He kept running, the roaring of the monster behind him is getting closer._

_There are no flowers to guide him, only the candles that are sometimes lit and sometimes not with the same pink flames that defy all sense. There are no infant children for him to protect, nothing to hold him back from letting the monstrous wraith flying after him to take him prisoner like it tried to so many years ago, but couldn't because he escaped. There is no one he can go to. There is nothing else to live for._

_...Why is he even trying at this point._

_He stopped running and stood still, not looking back._

_He could feel the hatred burning hotter, hatred that he must bear in the demon's place._

_All of this happened because of him. It didn't matter that the demon took control of him, the fact that it happened at all still stands. He watched Lewis die, and he lived on without him. His search was all in vain, all because of him. He knew that he should have fought the demon off, but he couldn't because he is so weak. Everything went wrong._

_All because of him._

“ _Lewis,” He muttered, not bothering to stop the tears from falling like it always did, “I know you hate me.”_

_He heard what sounded like a cord snapping. He looked up. The timer reached zero._

I know you never forgave me. I know I don't deserve your forgiveness. No one should.

_And the blade quickly started to fall._

“ _I'm so sorry.”_

_Something gently grabbed his left shoulder. He moved his head to see who it is._

“ _Elaine...?”_

_No. It's not Elaine. The shape isn't right. Too small. The hand didn't feel like a hand, it felt more like... hair?_

_A crashing sound. The blade missed him. Why? It was supposed to kill him. Kill him so the wraith will finally be at peace even though he didn't want to die._

_What pulled him back?_

“Daddy?”

* * *

Arthur opened his eyes, seeing a small figure next to him with bleary eyes. He blearily glanced at the clock to his right from the bed he was sleeping on. Was it three or five in the morning? He couldn't tell.

“Daddy? Daddy okay?” He could hear small whispers from a young voice.

“Vivian...” he whispered as he rubbed the tears away, allowing him to see better, “You should be asleep in your room.”

“Can't sleep,” Vivian frowned as her hair went away from Arthur's shoulder to back in its normal position.

...So Vivian can now use her hair as an “extra limb” of sorts. Interesting. How many abilities does this make? Floating (later flying), teleporting, telekinesis, going through the screen of almost any active electronic devices, spontaneous human combustion (he built sensors in her clothes for that one after she set herself on fire in the living room the first time that happened, _that_ was fun), phasing through physical objects, having unnaturally high luck, and now prehensile hair... Arthur counted seven. Or was that eight? He gave up keeping track of the exact number, nowadays he only bothered to keep track of the more dangerous powers Vivian has.

All the others in the Knights family born before Vivian only have around two or three powers. _Toddler has a new power? Must be a Tuesday._ He mused to himself.

Although Vivian is _said_ to be a Zashiki-Warashi, Arthur is beginning to have his doubts.

Eh... Guess that's another thing to worry about once they leave for Tempo, his family is used to seeing Vivian demonstrating a variety of powers and abilities. However, Arthur did remember Lance preferring to keep away from the paranormal side of things when he was still with the Mystery Skulls, so his uncle will probably freak out when his children show any signs of having powers.

...probably not a good time to think about too deeply right now.

Arthur glanced over to his left and saw that Elaine is still asleep. A part of him envied the fact that she's a heavy sleeper - unlike him - before shoving the feeling aside. He looked at the clock again, and saw that the time is almost four in the morning. He mentally groaned, knowing that he most likely wouldn't be able to go back to sleep for the rest of the night.

Still, he owed it to Vivian, since she saved him from the nightmares once again.

But he knew that he cannot rely on her forever. Sitting up, Arthur moved a bit to allow Vivian room to climb up, which she did and then climbed over him to be between him and Elaine. Once Vivian became comfortable, she soon curled up against Arthur's left side.

 _Just like your mother._ Arthur thought sadly as he cupped his hand around the back of Vivian's head.

“Hm... Hm... Hm... Hm... Hmm...”

Arthur rose a brow when he heard Vivian mumbling something. Curiously, Vivian didn't try to sleep. Instead, she started humming a tune that is somewhat off key. It took him a bit, but then he realized it.

 _Is she humming the lullaby to me?_ Arthur's went still before smiling sadly. _Oh, sweet little Vivian. You wouldn't be doing this if you knew the true lyrics._

If only Vivian knew just how _heartbreaking_ the lullaby he hummed truly is. Still, it is his own fault that this happened. It's the only lullaby he could ever hum to the children, so it only made sense that no one in the family knew the true meaning of the song.

 _It_ is _the song that speaks about leaving without anyone knowing, after all_.

Gwen and Percy loved hearing it ever since they were born, and every once in a while, Arthur would catch the two cheerfully humming it at times. Although as soon as realize Arthur was in hearing range, the two would immediately stop and look uneasy. He, in turn, could only give them a small smile whenever that happens in hopes of hiding the pain.

_Soon..._

“Daddy not sleep?” He looked down and saw Vivian look upset. Right... the lullaby always helped getting her to sleep.

“Lullabies don't work on Daddy,” he whispered to her as he caressed Vivian's long hair, “It only works on little boys and girls like you.”

“Daddy...”

Vivian looked like she was about to cry. Normal children wouldn't understand, but Vivian is smart for a three-year-old, even if she can't speak very well. She always wanted to be near him, even more so than Gwen and Percy did when they were her age. Whether it had to do with her power going out of control at times, or whenever she felt lonely or scared, Arthur didn't know, nor could he care.

All he could care about is that he loves his daughter, and his other children, more than anything.

“Being with you, though, will _always_ make Daddy happy.”

_But once I go back there..._

_This time I might just disappear for real... and for good._

* * *

Friday came.

Arthur's heart pounded furiously in his chest.

Today is the dreaded day.

The day that Arthur and his family leave for Tempo.

The time where his days are numbered... has come.

“Aunt Morgan, is your bag already in here?”

“I did, Elaine. Did you pack the toiletry bag with everything we'll need?”

“Yep, and I brought your and Arthur's medications, too.”

Arthur looked behind him and saw Elaine and Morgan carefully packing everything into a large camper van. To his relief, neither of them seem to be concerned about the trip itself, but it didn't give him any comfort.

He really didn't want to go back, but he has no choice.

Because Mr. Yukino had paid the Knights family to handle a job in Tempo, Morgan offered in coming along so she can help care for Vivian while Elaine handles the job itself. This, of course, led to another problem, because the van that Elaine and Arthur have used to do their paranormal jobs cannot carry six people comfortably along with the luggage they'll need to take with them.

“Gwen, you remember to bring your hygiene products?”

“Mom, not so loud! And yes!”

The problem was solved shortly after when Morgan suggested to use the camper van she had recently purchased with her husband Miles a few months before. Normally, it allows up to five people to ride comfortably, but since Vivian is still a small child, it was decided that she can sleep with either the twins or with her parents.

“Mama? Nana?”

“Nana Niniane already went ahead by herself, Vivian. We'll be meeting her there.”

Arthur didn't mind, really. If his life is to end soon, then he wants to just hold on to Vivian for as long as he can until it's time to leave the world of living. Gwen and Percy are fourteen, which means that they will have that many years of memories with him in it. But Vivian will only have three years of it, and that's considered a stretch since there's a chance she won't remember him at all when time passes.

He isn't sure what hurts more. Him dying, or Vivian being unable to remember his face.

“Percy, did you get the charms for Vivian? We can't have any accidents.”

“I got it, Mom! I got some for us, too.”

There isn't anything he can do to stop this. Once he and the family reach Tempo, all the hatred he fled from will strike back with a vengeance. He'll have more bruises, more scratches, more injuries, more _burns_. No one, not even Elaine, will be able to protect him from the mental harm he will soon face.

Especially since he knows for a fact that the wraith still exists. It's not even a surprise at this point. A vengeful ghost, a _wraith_ , will definitely still be around after so many years if it never gets the revenge it seeks.

And Arthur knew that _he_ is the object of obsession.

“Arthur, are you almost ready?”

He snapped out of his thoughts when Elaine called out to him. In the spur of the moment, he picked up his suitcase and passed it to her. He made sure to pack plenty of long sleeve shirts and at least three thin scarves to cover his arms and neck. The hand-shaped burn scars are barely noticeable now, but he didn't want to explain why they're even there. Or give answers he knew he couldn't give. Fortunately, the nights over at Tempo tend to be cold at this time of year, so wearing thick clothing wouldn't be as suspicious.

The scars on his back are still there, much to his self disgust and self loathing. The wraith didn't hold back when it threw Arthur against the sharp--

“Final luggage check!”

Within the hour, after everything has been accounted for, with Morgan behind the wheel, Arthur and his family have officially started to make the journey towards Tempo. Elaine remained in the front passenger seat to help with directions, while Gwen and Percy were on a sofa discussing about things to do in Tempo and looking over homework from school. Lastly, Vivian remained beside Arthur, sleepy from the humming of the van's engine.

It reminded him of the times when Vivian would sleep in their usual van during their travels. A sweet memory, really.

As Arthur sat on one of the two beds in the back of the camper, he held on to the sleeping Vivian's hand with his left, barely feeling the warmth thanks to the technology Gwen and Percy had developed with his help.

Amazing how much technology has advanced...

At this point, though, Arthur knew he could not be saved. He knew he could only have this happiness for so long, and his time is almost up when the past comes to claim him.

But the question Elaine asked left him wondering about one thing...

What happened _after_ he left?

* * *

“ _Before you left Tempo, did you know anyone named Lewis Pepper?”_

_Arthur went still, his body feeling numb._

“ _You don't need to tell me any specifics,” Elaine waved a hand at him, “I just need a 'Yes' or a 'No.' Did you know him at some point?”_

_Arthur took a moment to think. Lying to Elaine is out of the question, since all she and Morgan have to do is ask around Tempo and there would be a decent number of people who can say that it's true. He truly wanted to keep his friend's name clean. Vivian, still on her mother's lap, looked at him with curiosity._

_Arthur knew that he can't lie in front of their children, he never could._

“ _Yes, I did,” he nodded, trying to remain composed, “He was... my best friend.”_

_Elaine gave him a contemplative look, “I see. This does explain a lot of things from what Mr. Yukino told me in his desperation. It's because of the demon that took your arm that Lewis died, right?”_

_So she knew that much. There's no point in hiding it from her anymore. How he wished she and the others didn't get involved in all this. He never wanted any of this._

_There's no going back to the happy times anymore._

“ _When... When that demon took control of me... he was_ killed _. When Lewis died, things_ changed _... for the worse,” Arthur started to tremble, “I-I'm sorry, I... I-I couldn't...”_

“ _I know,” Elaine used a thumb to wipe some tears out from Arthur's face, “You didn't deserve to go through all that. Even though that kitsune saved you, it still traumatized you. It's no wonder you had that episode back at the family reunion nine years ago. Or that time when Percy had his power awaken so suddenly.”_

_So she knows that Arthur had unwillingly killed Lewis._

_..._

_Why?_

_Why isn't she angry?_

_Arthur pressed his left hand against his face, his right hand gripping his wrist. The emotional blow is too hard for him to take._

“ _It_ hurt _, Elaine. It really did.”_

“ _I know, my knight. I know. Honestly, I really do wish you had told me this earlier. I probably would've been able to help you so much earlier,” Elaine took his hands into her own and held tightly, “But after hearing everything from Mr. Yukino, I probably would've done the same thing if I were in your shoes.”_

 _No, she wouldn't. She's_ strong _, unlike him. She would've easily fought off the demon if it ever tried to take control of her. She has charms, blessings, and_ experience _that prevent that from happening. He didn't have that luxury, and paid a price much to steep for him as a result of it._

_And Lewis paid a price even steeper that his._

“ _Mama. Daddy.”_

_Both Arthur and Elaine looked down at Vivian, who is swaying from side to side, struggling to stay awake._

“ _Getting sleepy, baby?” Elaine smiled, “Okay, we'll get you to bed soon.”_

“ _I'll take her home,” Arthur said as he took Vivian into his hold, “It's almost her nap time.”_

“ _Arthur,” Elaine held his hand, “I know this whole thing is rough for you.”_

_An understatement, if anything._

“ _Do know this, my star. No matter what, my family and I will_ always _be on your side. My grandmother trusted you ever since the day you came into our lives, and she told me that no matter what, you didn't do anything wrong. You did what you thought was right when you left that place.”_

_...Did he? He knew that it's no secret that he left on impulse, because if he didn't leave, then he would've suffered the one fate he did not want to have with the Mystery Skulls._

_He knew that it wouldn't work._

_It was_ wrong _._

* * *

Arthur woke up from the bed he was sleeping on in the back of the camper. He didn't realize he had fallen asleep, and thanked the heavens they weren't pulled over or gotten into an accident. He looked to his left and saw that Vivian isn't with him. He knew that they haven't arrived in Tempo yet, so he isn't too worried, but...

He noticed that the sounds of the engine had ceased. Did they stop recently?

Yawning a little, Arthur sat up and noticed that no one is in the camper with him. Slightly alarmed, Arthur started to get up from the bed until he noticed a note located next to his pillow.

_We went into the diner to get lunch. I didn't want to wake you up._

_So if you see this, we should be back soon with your food._

_Call me if you need to._

_I love you, my star. ★_

_~ Elaine_

Smiling a little, Arthur took the note and placed it in that old diary he kept. The handwritten notes from Elaine, his light, were always so precious...

The diary that he received from Elaine so long ago for his birthday before their marriage has many events, tips, and drawings recorded over a fifteen year time period. There aren't that many pages left, so Arthur left it and started using another one. The second diary only contained entries that told about the nightmares he had with the wraith trying to end him or take the children, entries where it mentioned achievements his children had accomplished no matter how small, entries where he and Elaine learned that they were having Vivian, strategies on how to care for Vivian and her ever growing abilities... the list goes on.

There is one other entry he wrote, the entry showing that Mr. Yukino had found and tracked him down. Just how did Mr. Yukino do it? How did that man successfully find him? Why? And to make things worse, the letter Uncle Lance had written to him only proved that he knew about Arthur being married with children. His handwriting on this entry is so erratic that it's almost illegible.

Just... how? How did they find out?

“Why?” Arthur asked no one with his voice cracking, “Why can't this just disappear already.”

He desperately wanted to go back home, back to Cantabile, away from the hell he escaped from so long ago. But he can't do that, he had already promised Elaine that he and the family would go to Tempo to see his uncle. No matter how much he is tempted to just take the camper and drive off (which is thrown out the window upon discovering that Elaine or Morgan took the keys), or just run away by foot to the nearest bus stop, Arthur knew that he cannot escape this fate.

But...

_Is it so wrong for me to not want to let go of this happiness?_

Honestly, his uncle isn't the problem, it's the fact that... well, the Mystery Skulls and their families could still be there. He had checked online that Kingsmen Mechanics is still going strong under Lance's name, and the reviews for it have been favorable for the most part. He didn't dare check on the state of the Pepper Paradiso, or how those people Vivi worked with at Tome Tomb were doing. It's for the best that he didn't get himself involved with them anymore. But now he's being forced to see all of that again. He could only hope that Elaine and the others wouldn't be interested in those locations, and that no one but his uncle were to try to contact him.

 _All I did is run away._ Arthur thinks bitterly. _I didn't have a choice. It was all I could do._

The sounds of keys being jostled with the camper door opening caught Arthur's attention. Within a minute, Elaine and Morgan returned with the kids, Vivian immediately running up to him and grabbing at his sleeve.

“Hey, Dad,” Percy smiled, “We didn't want to wake you, so we went in and ate already. We got you the sandwich you always like, according to Mom.”

Gwen walked up to Arthur to hand him a small paper bag. He took it and gave a small smile back, “Thanks, guys.”

“You should probably wait and eat that once we get back on the interstate,” Morgan said as she went into the driver's seat, “These roads are bumpy what with all the construction.”

Elaine, once it was her turn, came up to him and picked up Vivian, “We decided that we'll keep going until around 8:00 p.m., then we'll start looking for a hotel to sleep in for the night. Sound good?”

Arthur nodded, then took the time to embrace his wife and youngest daughter. Since his death is coming closer, Arthur wanted to take as much love and affection as he could get.

“Mmph...” Elaine moved back a bit to pinch at her nose with her free hand.

“Elaine?”

"Don't worry, Arthur, I'm fine,” Elaine took a deep breath before smiling at him, “I'm just a bit tired from driving all day. The menopause isn't helping either, heh,” she then turned to the children, “Okay, you two, we need to sit down so Aunt Morgan can get us out of here. You ready?”

When Morgan drove the camper to the interstate, Arthur opened the bag and found that a fish hoagie is inside.

One of his favorites, he notes. Rather fitting for it to be among his last meals.

* * *

Although Arthur dreaded it, he knew that he cannot just turn around and go back.

Elaine would tell him that he needs to face his past, or he can't truly move forward, or something like that. Normally, he'd agree with her, but considering the reasons on why he left Tempo, he isn't looking forward to letting the Mystery Skulls and their acquaintances meet the family he married into and had a family with. The only thing that kept Arthur from refusing completely is Lance's letter saying they will not be involved if that is what he wishes.

Even so, regardless of the fact that Lance knows about his wife and children, Arthur couldn't bring himself to call Kingsmen Mechanics. He's pretty sure Morgan did last night when they found a decent motel located on the Arkansas-Texas border, but she volunteered to sleep in the camper so they didn't have to pay for an extra room, so she might have called Caelia, or Vivienne, or even Miles to check in for all he knows.

Currently, Arthur is driving the last stretch to Tempo, since he knows the general route despite not being in the area for so long. The sun had already set and the sky has reached civil twilight, but when Arthur checked the GPS for the arrival time to Kingsmen Mechanics, they will most likely reach the place in just about two hours at around nine. He had already convinced Elaine that they check into the hotel they reserved first and meet Lance the following day. Arthur knows more than anyone that once Lance closes up the repair shop for the night, he's usually not keen for guests.

Elaine and Morgan are in their seats, the former snoozing and the latter reading a book. Morgan made it a rule during the drive that if possible, there are to be at least two of them awake. That way if Arthur gets tired, Morgan can take over, and Arthur can then wake Elaine to be the backup driver after Morgan if needed, and then Arthur could sleep himself.

Gwen and Percy are in their seats alongside Vivian, who is currently asleep in her seat with a blanket and the fog/dog doll she got for her birthday. Arthur refused to let the kids sleep on the bed, citing safety and legal regulations. None of them were too thrilled about it, but they didn't complain after Arthur pointed out that even though he appreciated the thought of letting him sleep yesterday was thoughtful, it was still a safety hazard.

As Arthur drove, the twilight gradually went darker, and soon after he could see a small town far out in the horizon to the left and below the cliffs they're currently driving over.

 _Tempo_...

From afar, it doesn't look like it has changed much. It still looks like a rather small town like how it was seventeen years ago. He left at twenty-two, and came back at thirty-nine, almost nearing the age of forty.

_It's been so long. Even now, I don't want to go back._

_But I don't have a choice._

Arthur made sure to keep the camper going at an appropriate speed, even going a bit under the typical speed limit the rural road has here. He couldn't help but be on edge as he saw the moon high up in the sky, and the sky is becoming completely dark now.

He then took a moment to get his right hand off the steering wheel to gently touch the moon pin on his jacket, just above his heart. While it's original purpose is to be a protective charm and a sign of love from Elaine, Arthur inwardly bit his tongue at the additional function he added to it. He could only hope that he will have the moon pin with him even after he dies, for the secrets it carried for so long could be revealed to the world, and he didn't want that.

_They'll always be close to my heart._

Arthur pulled his hand away and gripped the steering wheel. The awful feeling of being on edge lingered, but he tried to ignore it. It wouldn't do him any good if he let his nerves get the better of him and made a stupid move that could send them off the cliff. Arthur quickly shook his head to get that image out of his head. He needed to get a hold of himself. To keep his mind off the crazy thoughts, Arthur turned on the radio and set it at a low volume to keep it from potentially waking Elaine and Vivian. He didn't know if the station in the area still works, but it wouldn't hurt to try.

**♪**

_\--every song..._

_Reminds me that you gave up!_

_You sold me out..._

**♪**

For some reason, the music brought a chill up his spine. He tried to ignore it by lowering the volume even more and kept driving. The song kept going as usual, but then, he thought he heard static. He shrugged it off. This area doesn't always get the best reception, if he remembered right.

“Uh, Arthur?” Morgan quietly called out to him, “Why are we slowing down?”

...Say what?

Arthur looked down at the dashboard. Sure enough, the speed indicator is showing that the camper is decelerating. His foot is on the pedal, so why is it--?

The static.

He immediately froze as the camper came to a stop. Not wanting to believe it, he turned the key a few times to see if he could get it to crank, but it isn't working.

"Seriously?" Gwen let out an annoyed scoff, "Did it just break down right at the last stretch?"

Immediately after, his back felt hot and his fingers trembled as he realized why he was so on edge. Wordlessly, he turned to look at the side mirror, and could only look in terror.

They're on the same road where the wraith had chased him so long ago, and it has every intention to do it again.

On impulse, Arthur lifted his left fist.

_“Dad, what are you--?”_

And slammed it down on the top of the dashboard.

_“Daddy!”_

A shock of familiar pain went through his body. He resisted the urge to cry out.

“ _W-What's going on?!”_

Elaine's voice.

His arm fell limp, unmoving.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _I've been hellbent, babe..._


	14. It's Been Too Long, Babe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _I've been hellbent, babe..._

  _Arthur opened his eyes once he felt the feeling that he is being dragged by something, his vision blurry and spinning in circles._

_What just...?_

_Arthur looked up, and in his blurry vision, he choked on a scream of terror at the sight of the wraith he ran away from so long ago. His shirt is held tightly in the wraith's grasp, giving him no chance of escape._

_Why? Why is this happening? He left like they wanted, didn't he? He only wanted to escape from the place that became his hell!_

“ _ **You have nerve, Arthur. Running away after what you did.”**_

_Arthur wondered where Elaine, Morgan, and the children are. He hoped they're safe. He hoped they managed to get away from the hell he is in now. The punishments from it always hurt, always burned, always tore away at his heart and soul._

_He didn't know how he managed to do it, but he pulled himself free from the wraith's grasp when it relaxed its grip for a brief moment and ran off as quickly as he could. He couldn't let himself be imprisoned. Not again. Those chains_ hurt _._

Gwen! Percy! Vivian! _He ran and ran past many doorways that lead to many more dead ends._ Elaine! Morgan! Where are you?! Please be safe!

 _Those damn hallways again. The hallways filled with black and purple and magenta that reeked of death and despair and sorrow and misery and_ why can't he ever escape from this hell?! _The fact that the wraith had found and captured him, and possibly his family, made him grit his teeth in frustration, fear, and sadness, all at the same time._

_That wraith, and so many others, wanted Arthur to leave their lives, and he did just that. He left Tempo, and everyone and everything he knew, and what little he loved remained behind except for a single hamster. Leaving Tempo itself wasn't enough to satisfy that monster. No, it wanted whatever Arthur happened to possess, even the things he received after escaping from this hell. It wanted his love for the family he married into, his love for his wife, his children that soon became his only reasons for living. It wanted his happiness._

_It wanted Arthur's life for its own._

_He can't die by that monster's hand. He can't let the wraith take his life. Not while his children are still so young, not when they're still with him._

_Not ever._

_Soon, the hallways came to an end, and Arthur ran through a door that didn't lead to death and kept looking for a way out to escape the hell once again. He tried to ignore the stalagmites covered in red that littered the giant... room? Or hall? Or... cave?! His left arm is suddenly gone. Red splattered all over his clothes and face, red dripping off his left shoulder, leaving a trail of where he goes._

“ _ **Even now, you still struggle?”**_

_He has to, for the sake of the little ones, at the very least. He tried to stop the red bleeding from him. He couldn't stop running. His tears wouldn't stop falling._

I don't want to do this anymore! I don't want to go through this again! I don't want to live my life afraid!

_..._

...Afraid?

_He stopped running, stopped trying to prevent the red flowing from his arm, and looked back to the monster pursuing him._

_The wraith threw a hand at Arthur's head, the fingers tightly gripping at his hair._

“ _ **Where are they?”**_

_Arthur gritted his teeth. It can't have his children. They won't love the monster._

“ _ **The real monster is**_ **you** ** _.”_**

_He is well aware._

“My star...”

_The feeling of being slammed against a solid surface never came. Arthur felt the clutching hand leave his head. He felt himself falling._

_Falling._

_And falling._

_And falling even more as he closed his eyes._

“My star. It's okay.”

_Elaine?_

“There's nothing here. It's okay. _Breathe_.”

* * *

It took him a moment to realize the gasp he heard was from himself. He could breathe again.

Breathing heavily, he opened his eyes and blinked. Confused, he looked around and saw that he is still in the camper, his seat belt still secure.

“It's okay, my star. It's okay. I'm here. Just breathe. Come on.”

He felt a hand gently massage his left shoulder. Another hand reached out to hold his right hand, still clutching his left arm. He realized rather belatedly that he couldn't move his left arm, even the fingers were immobile.

“It's okay, my knight,” Elaine muttered in a comforting tone near his ear, “It's okay. It's just us.”

Arthur strained his ears, and realized that he couldn't hear the roars of the truck's engine from before. He looked at the side mirror to his left. To his confusion, he didn't see the wraith's possessed truck within the reflection. Cradling his arm while being mindful of Elaine's hold, he poked his head out the window to look at the area behind the camper.

There's really nothing but the road and the desert in its usual nighttime setting.

“T-The truck's not...?”

“Arthur?”

“It's not there?” He pulled himself back in and looked at the side mirror again, “The truck's not chasing us?”

“A truck?” He heard Elaine's questioning tone, “Gwen, Percy, did either of you see a truck behind us at any point?”

“No, it was just us for the past few hours,” he heard Percy answer, “We had a car or two pass by us, but neither of them were trucks.”

“And even then, those cars were in the opposing lane that goes in the opposite direction,” Gwen added.

No one else saw it?

Arthur saw the wraith's truck while the rest of his family didn't. They're on the same road where he was chased by it seventeen years ago, and he never properly recovered from it because of its hatred for him. If that's the case, then...

Right... Flashbacks and disassociation, nightmares and anxiety. He's already been diagnosed with PTSD from the wraith's abuse back in Cantabile by his therapist in the early years. Over the years, he was gradually recovering, and a year before his family discovered Elaine's pregnancy with Vivian, he no longer had to visit that therapist as regularly, and gradually got off some of his anxiety and antidepressant medication. His remembered feeling his mood and demeanor gradually coming out of its frightened shell as the years passed, feeling _safe_ for the first time in so long.

He was _happy_. He thought he was recovering from the hell he endured.

With the flashback of the wraith's truck, however, it only proved that he never did truly recover.

Being away from the hell he escaped from so long ago made him careless. He could escape from the hell, he could recover from the wounds, but he could never truly forget the pain and _memories_ associated with Tempo. As long as the children exist, Arthur knew with a heavy heart that he will never be able to forget it completely.

He bit his lower lip, and tried to hold the tears back. It wouldn't do if anyone but Elaine were to see him cry now.

_Their names... why did I give them their names?_

Even though Arthur tried and tried, he couldn't bear to let go the few memories that clung to him all these years.

He heard Gwen and Percy wanting to ask what happened, but Elaine shook her head at them before turning her attention back to him. He stared down at his lap, where his prosthetic arm is carefully draped over.

He didn't dare look up. The damage he did on the camper's interior isn't something Morgan is going to forgive him for anytime soon, no doubt.

He heard the sound of the camper's front hood being slammed shut. The door opened and he heard someone climb inside.

“Okay, I replaced the battery,” Morgan's voice reached his ears, “The camper should be up and running now.”

“I'm just happy you brought a spare battery for occasions like this,” Elaine sighed in relief when she tested the engine by turning the key, giving a nod of satisfaction upon seeing the engine come to life, “But didn't you and Uncle Miles buy this camper new just a few months ago? The battery shouldn't die so soon.”

“I thought so, too. I even checked for current, and I'm getting zilch. It's completely dead,” Morgan rolled her eyes and gave a grunt of annoyance, “Fortunately, the battery's under the dealer's warranty, which doesn't expire until just before Christmas. So once we're back home, I'll head over there to get a replacement for that hunk of junk. Annoying, but it can't be helped. Kinda wish that he didn't leave a dent on my dashboard, though. That will take a bit to repair.”

Arthur turned his head away from Morgan's direction. Breathing somewhat heavily, Arthur could only tremble in the driver's seat while holding Elaine's hand.

“If anything, we should've known this was going to happen,” Elaine squeezed Arthur's hand a little tighter, “If that ghost truck he saw was real, then we may be facing a genuine threat here.”

“A ghost truck, Elaine? We would've sensed it if something that powerful was nearby,” Morgan shook her head and shrugged, “Not just us, but Gwen and Percy would've noticed it long ago. However, none of us did. I hear it's not unheard of for hallucinations to occur when one is tired, but...”

Was it really just a hallucination?

The pain that paralyzed his left arm felt all too real. It felt like the time back when the wraith pursued him. What the wraith's power is capable of has long ingrained itself into Arthur's mind and body. The scars he has prove it all too well, and ever since this started happening, all of his scars began to ache. Arthur could only hope that other than his left arm being messed up when he slammed it against the dashboard, the rest of the pain is just all in his head.

“Regardless of what it is, Aunt Morgan, it still scared him enough to do this.”

He couldn't take it anymore, “E-Elaine...”

“My star?”

He tried to hold the tears back as he cradled his damaged arm, “I'm sorry, but... c-could one of you... take over? _Please?_ ”

He wasn't given an answer at first, which made him slowly glance up at Elaine, who is facing Morgan. The two nodded, and Morgan soon made her way to him.

“Go rest in the reclined seat. Elaine and I will take it from here.”

* * *

“How's the damage, Gwen?”

“Daddy busted it up pretty badly, Mom. It'll take us a while, maybe a few days tops, to repair it since he's...”

“That's fine, we have the previous model as a spare on hand, so we'll have him use that. You and Percy just fix up what you can for tonight and we'll finish it once your father settles down.”

Arthur pretended that he is asleep in the hotel bed, complete with a blindfold to prevent any sudden flashing lights from startling him. By tilting his head upward slightly at the right angle, he could practically see the twins looking over his damaged prosthetic with Elaine hovering over them while holding Vivian, who is asleep in her arms.

“Mom, will he be okay?”

Arthur would've tried comforting his son in a heartbeat, but he is too tired to think straight, too afraid to hold anyone right now. He couldn't break down in front of them. He couldn't put up a brave face for the kids.

He is a coward, and he knew it.

“He will be, Percy,” Elaine nodded with a worried smile as she looked over to Arthur, “He just needs time to adjust, and it will take a while for him to feel comfortable being here in this town again,” she turned back to them, “Don't stay up too late, okay? We'll be heading over to Kingsmen Mechanics to meet your grand uncle at ten tomorrow. Let me know if you need anything, but try to be quiet tonight for him, okay?”

“Okay...”

Arthur watched the twins leave the room through the attachment door with his prosthetic arm to go to the neighboring room where Morgan is. Once they were gone, Arthur tried to relax himself. He could barely see Elaine place Vivian in the other bed next to his and tucked her in, then closed his eyes and tried to sleep.

Soon, he heard the rustling of Elaine changing her clothes, and then crawling into the bed with him, his back facing her.

“I'm here for you, my star,” he heard her whisper and place a hand against the stub that is his left arm, “I will do whatever I can to protect you,” she then planted a kiss against his temple, “Know that no matter what, I will _always_ love you.”

_I love you, Elaine. I truly do._

“Thank you for being the star of my life.”

Slowly, Arthur reached his right hand to his left shoulder, and felt Elaine's fingers intertwine with his. She didn't make a comment about him still being awake, and Arthur soon felt her nestle down behind him to hold him from behind before falling asleep.

_Thank you, Elaine... for being the light of my life._

He didn't stop the tears from falling before sleep took over.

He didn't know if it's act of mercy, but he did not have any nightmares for the remainder of the night.

When he woke up, he found Vivian curled up beside him.

* * *

“Whoa...” Gwen stared in awe, “You didn't tell us that its this big, Daddy.”

“You know, Dad, if you hadn't told us ahead of time that this is a repair shop like Queens, I probably would've thought it was a castle.”

Seeing it from inside the camper, Kingsmen Mechanics has definitely changed in appearance since the last seventeen years, and Arthur knew it. But to his family, it's them seeing it for the first time.

It still looks the same from before he left Tempo, but despite the rundown and nostalgic feel he has, Arthur could tell that the shop has received some renovations over time. The place is still made of red brick, but the impression of it looking like a castle is somewhat more apparent, the parking lot looks like it has been paved recently to cover the bumpy cracks he remembered long ago, the canvas top that was above the entrance had been replaced with a sturdier one that's finer in quality, and the classic logo of the crown above the wrench looked a bit more sleek.

Appearance aside, the junkyard behind the shop looks like it has been cleaned up a bit and is more organized, and there's even a fence guarding it now with a sign that claimed it as private property. To the right of the shop's front entrance, Arthur could see that two more garages were added to the building itself, meaning that more clients are coming and going.

At the very least, Arthur can take comfort in knowing that he wasn't truly needed here... He thinks.

“My knight? Are we not going in?”

Arthur looked at Elaine and Morgan, then turned his attention to the twins, and finally looked at Vivian, who is drowsy in her seat. He bit his lower lip in thought before reaching a decision.

“Gwen, Percy, I want the two of you and Vivian to stay in here with your grandaunt. Elaine and I... will go in first, and if by some chance things get... unpleasant, we'll leave, and try to enjoy our vacation elsewhere. Okay?”

There's also that “job” Mr. Yukino hired Elaine for, but he isn't going to think about it. Just leave it to her. Leave it to her.

“I suppose that makes sense,” Morgan crossed her arms with a conflicted sense of understanding, “I mean, this town is the place where you left to escape from the abuse you suffered from. You said your uncle didn't have anything to do with it, right?”

“No,” Arthur shook his head firmly, “If anything, before I left, he's the only one I know who still cared. I just don't know if he does now.”

“But the letter from him says that he only wants to see you and _'those that have made you happy,'_ which is us,” Elaine also crossed her arms in thought, “At the same time, though, I wonder what he meant by _'wanting to make things right.'_ ”

The twins, Arthur noticed, were looking a little uncomfortable. He internally winced, they're only fourteen, and yet here they are being shoved in a situation children their age shouldn't ever come across. If his uncle has come to hate him over the seventeen years he has been gone, there's a possibility that the hate might go forward to his children as well. Regardless of his feelings, he isn't going to let that happen if he can help it.

His mind made up, he stood to his feet and started to leave the camper.

“Arthur?”

“Let's just get this over with, Elaine,” he held out a hand to her once he exited the vehicle, “I've stalled on this long enough.”

Elaine nodded in understanding, then gave the others the order to remain in the camper before taking Arthur's hand, “We'll be back, Aunt Morgan.”

“Just let us know how things go.”

Arthur and Elaine soon reached the entrance door. The sign said that it's open for business, and Arthur hoped that there won't be any customers in today for all the reasons he could think of. He lifted his hand to push the door open and hesitated for a moment, but then Elaine's hand moved over his and had the both of them push the door open together. The sound of a bell ringing that alerts shop staff of incoming customers reached Arthur's ears, and with Elaine gently pushing him forward, the two entered Kingsmen Mechanics.

Strangely, no one was there to greet them at first, which gave Arthur a chance to look at the interior. Most of it still has the same feel he remembered in the past. A simple reception desk, keys on a large board shaped like the shop logo nailed to the wall behind it, and many posters and pamphlets attached to some cork boards that advertise either the repair shop itself or other local businesses. One such pamphlet has a familiar logo of a red pepper, which took more than a little effort to ignore.

Needless to say, Arthur actually felt a little disturbed that it feels so nostalgic to be here again for the first time in seventeen years despite the drastic change from what he remembers. Yet, it feels like...

“Huh, it reminds me of Four of a Kind Queens for some reason,” Elaine whispered to him.

So she noticed it, too.

Before Arthur could voice his concern, he heard a door from behind the front desk followed by a cheerful voice from a young female employee wearing a yellow apron over purple and white coveralls. She somehow looks familiar.

“Hey, welcome to Kingsmen Mechanics, where we--”

The voice from the employee trailed off upon seeing Arthur and Elaine, her expression quickly changing from cheerful to confusion with a small frown. She blinked at them a few times, then her face changed from confusion to slow realization.

It took Arthur a moment, but upon closer inspection of the employee's face, one name soon surfaced in his mind, and said the name softly under his breath.

_Belle?_

“Oh... my gosh,” the employee's smile returned to her face, and with a laugh that's barely forming, started to run towards him with her arms spread wide, “Arthur! It... It's you! It's really you!”

_**Who gave you the right to be near them?** _

Before he could fully process what happened, Arthur quickly positioned himself behind Elaine, clinging to his wife's sleeves. He couldn't let Belle reach out to him, the wraith _hates_ it when he interacts with the Peppers. Mr. and Mrs. Pepper still hate him, and he _knows_ it.

Belle stopped with a hurt expression upon seeing Arthur's reaction, but then looked away.

“O-Oh... right. I-I should've known that you still--”

She suddenly turned and left through the door she came from, allowing Arthur to relax slightly.

“Who was that, Arthur?” Elaine turned to him and held his hand.

He didn't answer. The scowl on his light's face went grim.

“Was she one of--”

He shook his head. She relaxed her expression back to concern.

“It sounds like she missed you,” she whispered and cupped a hand over Arthur's face, “...dearly.”

Why would Belle of the Pepper family miss _him?_ It's because of him that her big brother Lewis is gone and that her family was torn apart. Still, it doesn't explain why she's here, working as a mechanic in his uncle's shop. From what he remembered, Belle had no interest in repairing or tinkering with cars. Toys and computers, maybe, but those aren't the same thing compared to her known interests back then.

And she has grown so much since he last saw her...

Well, it doesn't matter why. Arthur made the turn to leave while gently gesturing Elaine to follow him. Elaine looked disappointed, but he knew that she understood his reasoning. It wouldn't do if something escalates while he's here, so it's for the best to get out while they still can. He's already beginning to regret coming back to Tempo, now that someone other than Lance has seen him. He lifted his hand towards the door that leads back outside.

“ _Arthur?”_

He froze to the feeling of dread crawling up his back upon hearing a man call out his name. The feeling of déjà vu flows into his mind, confusing him for a while before realizing that this very same scenario is just like the time he last stepped out of Kingsmen Mechanics seventeen years ago.

Upon feeling the tug on his hand from Elaine, who stood in front of him protectively, Arthur slowly turned while clinging to Elaine's hand and shoulder.

Belle is already back on the reception desk in front of a computer, only giving Arthur and Elaine nervous side way glances. Standing before the two is a shorter and older man that is in his late sixties. His hair and beard has gray mixed in with the original blond hair Arthur remembered, and the man himself appears to have slimmed down a bit. Not much, but the trace of him being somewhat overweight is still there. His arms still looked as muscular as ever, but they look slightly thinner due to being older in age.

“Arthur...” the older man slowly shook his head as he started to reach out, “You... You're really... Belle wasn't kidding me that...”

What the hell is he supposed to do? What is he supposed to say? Should he run? Should he hide? Should he just--

Arthur felt his chest tightening, his heartbeat becoming so loud it's overpowering the sounds that reach his ears, he couldn't hear what Elaine is saying to his uncle. He couldn't set himself up for disappointment, he has to leave now, before his uncle yells at him for leaving and--

A breath of air was knocked out of him when Lance wrapped his arms around his thin stature before he realized that Elaine let him go from her hold.

“Arthur... Welcome home...”

Why is his uncle crying?

“I _missed_ you. I missed you so _damn much_.”

_Why isn't he angry?_

“I'm so glad you're _okay_ , Arthur.”

The anger never came.

Reluctantly, Arthur wrapped his arms around his uncle's shoulders. He knew he shouldn't be, but he's just so _happy to see him again._

“It's... been a while, Lance.”

* * *

Uncle Lance soon took Arthur and Elaine into the living room of his house, which is attached to Kingsmen Mechanics, and where none of the customers would hear them. Belle was left to watch the shop for the time being. For the better, in Arthur's opinion, considering that he isn't allowed to be near the Pepper family at all.

Sitting on the sofa, which looked somewhat used, Arthur stared down at his feet, feeling numb to the bone.

“Arthur?”

“My star?”

He didn't want to look up to see his uncle's disappointed face, or trust his voice to speak. All he could bring himself to do without breaking down is weakly wrap his fingers around his left wrist.

“ _Daddy?”_

“ _WHAT IN THE--?!”_

The sound of Vivian's voice and Lance's exclamation startled Arthur out of the numbness, he looked up from the floor and saw Vivian standing nearby with her hands reaching out to him, her expression looking somewhat distressed.

She must have been startled by Lance's scream, he thinks.

Wordlessly, Arthur slowly pulled her into his lap. If Vivian came in without anyone noticing, then it doesn't take much to realize that she must have teleported in here from the camper. He somewhat pursed his lips in thought once he realized something. The camper has been enchanted and laced with the same charms from their house that keep Vivian from accidentally leaving it while moving, meaning the only way she could teleport here was unless she was outside the camper. He hoped the twins and Morgan aren't panicking too much, he better bring her back to them before it gets out of hand.

All Vivian did is cling to his sweater and vest, the usual habit she has whenever Arthur holds her. He made a mental note to try grooming her hair, which looks a little disheveled, later.

“Wait, who is-- how did she-- how did she get in here?” Lance shook his head and did a double take, “Wait, 'Daddy'? Th-That's yer daughter, Arthur? That's Gwen?”

“No no, sir. She's our other daughter, Vivian,” Elaine explained with a embarrassed chuckle, “She's three.”

“How did she-- Wait, then how many--”

A cell phone's ring tone interrupted Lance's questioning, which gave Arthur some relief for the distraction. From the sounds of it, Morgan had called Elaine to tell her that Vivian is missing, which Elaine calmly explained that Vivian “has poofed her way to Arthur” like she was talking about the weather. Honestly, it's not the first time Vivian has done this (and certainly won't be the last), but it's definitely a first for Lance, who Arthur could still hear him mumbling about what the hell just happened with Vivian's sudden appearance.

Honestly, that small amount of amusement is just Arthur needed right now.

“I'll go get the others,” Elaine said as she hung up, “I'll be back in a bit, and we can talk then. Think you'll be okay, Arthur?”

“Daddy's good with me!” Vivian gave her mother a thumbs up. Arthur couldn't help but breath out a small laugh from that.

Giving Arthur one last brush of her hand against his shoulder, Elaine left through the way she came in, leaving Arthur and a curious Vivian with Lance.

“Arthur?”

He still didn't look up. He could tell that his uncle is disappointed. A muffled sound of movement reached his ears, and in the corner of his eye, he saw Lance kneel down to be on eye level with him and his daughter. Instead of disappointment, Arthur only saw a smile of genuine relief and... love for family?

Vivian turned to look at Lance with a curious expression. She reached out and touched Lance's beard, then went and looked at Arthur while pointing at the older man.

“Bush Daddy?”

Arthur had to bite back a laugh, “N-No, Vivian, he's your grand uncle.”

“Grandpa?”

“Grand _uncle_. Like your grand uncle Miles.”

Vivian narrowed her eyes, shifting her gaze between Arthur and Lance. She then made a motion of her throwing something above her head while whispering, “Grand Dunk.”

Grand Dunk...? Wait. Slam Dunk... Grand Dunk... Dunkle... Grand Uncle...!

Arthur tried really hard not to laugh at the awful play on words his daughter just pulled. He knew Vivian inherited more than just Elaine's looks, and could only smile at her fondly while caressing her head.

“You know, after everything that happened, I actually can't remember the last time I saw you smiling like that.”

Arthur finally looked up at his uncle, who didn't look disappointed at all. Instead, the old man is smiling a little. What is he talking about?

“So,” Lance gestured at Vivian, “How did she get in here, anyway? She just appeared in here from smoke all of a sudden like it was magic.”

Arthur had intended to not tell Lance about the quirks of the Knights family since he knows that his uncle prefers to stay away from that kind of thing, but he shrugged it off. He'll leave the details being given by Elaine or Morgan.

Regardless, he answered slowly, “It's something she got from her mother's side.”

Thankfully, Lance seemed to get the hint that Arthur didn't want to elaborate. Vivian giggled and hugged Arthur. He could only smile slightly and hug her back. He didn't want to let go.

“Arthur, I'm back.”

Arthur looked up upon hearing his light's voice, and saw Elaine approaching with Gwen, Percy, and Morgan closely following. It made Arthur's heart ache to see the twins look so nervous, so he stood up with Vivian in his hold and went to their side.

“Sorry, Dad,” Percy muttered to him, “Vivian said that she wanted to see you when she woke up, but as soon as I took her out of the camper to put the charms on her, she disappeared.”

Arthur placed a hand on his son's shoulder, giving him a slow shake of his head with a sad smile.

“My word...” Lance slowly approached them. Or rather, more at Percy, “You really _do_ look so much like your father now that I see you up close. It's almost _uncanny,_ ” he then looked at Gwen, “I can tell you take after your mother, but you have his eyes.”

The twins glanced at each other for a moment, then back at Lance. Arthur can tell that they're not sure what to think of this.

Lance then looked at Vivian, a brow raised slightly, but his smile shows that he isn't upset, “We all thought you only had the boy and girl twins that are high-school aged. At least, that's what Nobuhiro told us. We never knew you had a third child.”

Vivian only waved at him, and Arthur could tell that she's winning Lance over if she hasn't already.

 _Wait._ Arthur realized somewhat belatedly. _Lance thought that I only had Gwen and Percy? He didn't know about Vivian until now? Did Mr. Yukino not know? ...Does anyone else know? But wait, how did Lance know--_

“How _did_ you find me?” Arthur asked, trying to not make it sound like a demand, “And how _did_ you know Gwen's name and that I even had my family?”

From Lance's wince, it wasn't enough, but soon, he gave Arthur and his family the gesture to wait and left for the workshop. Roughly a minute later, Lance returned, holding a sheet of paper with some text and a picture printed on it. Elaine took it, and nearly raised a hand to her lips.

“It's the article that has Gwen and Percy with the prosthetic they made,” Elaine murmured, “It's the project that made them get accepted into their school. Their names are on it.”

“Nobuhiro has a friend in Missouri that's into prosthetics,” Lance slowly explained, “This article was posted online, they happened to see it and linked it on their social media. When Nobuhiro saw it on his end, he immediately contacted me and told me to look. Neither of us could believe the resemblance when we saw him,” he gestured at Percy, who made a movement to hide behind Elaine, “At first, I thought it was just a coincidence, until I took a closer look.”

When Arthur looked at the part of the picture Lance pointed at, he could feel himself go white and slowly turned to his son. On Percy's purple vest is the black and white skull pin Arthur used to wear so long ago.

The Mystery Skulls logo.

“That pin is one of a kind in a sense,” Lance continued to explain, “Only three exist in the world since they're custom made. One is with someone from the Yukino family, another is buried in the cemetery on the other side of town. And the last one...”

“...is the one I have,” Arthur finished.

“Wait, so it's my fault that we're even here?” Percy tearfully pointed at himself, his finger touching the skull pin, “S-So if I wasn't wearing this, Dad wouldn't--”

“We would've gone to Cantabile even if you hadn't,” Lance interrupted with a sad smile, “Your resemblance to Arthur alone was enough for me to write that letter to him, all the pin did was confirm my suspicions. Even if by some chance you weren't related to Arthur, and it was just coincidence, we would've left you alone. Maybe just say hello, apologize for our mistake, and then leave.”

Arthur didn't know what to do.

“'We'?” Morgan finally decided to cut into the conversation with a stern look, “'So it wasn't just this 'Nobuhiro Yukino' that came to our hometown?”

Send the children back outside?

“Not exactly. Originally, I meant to go, but I couldn't leave the shop with my assistant Belle out sick at the time,” Lance shook his head, “So I asked Nobuhiro to go in my stead. He's the one who found that there was a teaching assistant named 'Arthur Knights' on that Cantabile university, and then connected the dots from there, using his grandson's interest in robotics as an excuse to make an appointment with him.”

Take them and run?

“And thus caused this series of unfortunate events,” Morgan crossed her arms with a grunt of annoyance.

 _If I don't get them out of here, who knows what will--_ Wait...

What did Lance say? 'Grandson?' _Mr. Yukino wasn't lying about that?_

Arthur then quickly tried to piece things together as Lance rambled on. The only way for that to happen was unless--

“Granted, Jason's only eight, but Nobuhiro doesn't like lying.”

For some reason, Arthur feels that should be impossible. The person _she_ loved is _dead_.

Although he wanted to know more, he knew better than to press for specific details. He doesn't have the right to press into the lives of the Yukino family or the Peppers. So he went with a more indistinct question, even though he dreaded to speak about it. He set Vivian down, and finally asked Lance the question.

“Whatever happened to _them?_ The Mystery Skulls.”

It was like a switch flipped. Immediately, Lance went from nostalgic to an emotion that Arthur couldn't exactly identify, but he could pick up a disgusted tone from his voice.

“For one of them, it's better if ya actually see for yourself.”

* * *

It took some time, but Elaine convinced Arthur to let the children stay with Lance so they could know their grand uncle more, especially after they became eager upon learning that he was short on help on repairing a few cars. Morgan asserted that she will watch over the children to make sure everything is fine.

“ _We'll have to let them have their 'play time' so they can let loose with their powers for a bit,” Morgan shrugged, “But since this is a town so far out in a desert, they should be fine on their own so long as they don't go too far and they carry the proper protection charms. I'll explain everything to Lance for you, Arthur. So you and Elaine just go out and relax for a bit, okay?”_

Within half an hour, Arthur and Elaine had arrived to a place where the latter least expected.

“Arthur? Why did your uncle direct us to a graveyard?”

Arthur vaguely remembered Lewis's funeral happening around here, when it was established that Lewis was declared legally dead. He couldn't attend it back then due to being in the hospital after taking an injury meant for Vivi, and Mystery and Lance had scolded him for his recklessness. The injury came from a case right before, after he and the Mystery Skulls finally talked about what happened in the cave. He knew Vivi attended it, and he remembered the tearful phone call from Mr. Pepper asking him why Lewis's death even happened.

And everyone knew it was his fault back then.

Arthur only visited Lewis's grave once, and that was a few weeks after the funeral, when he had a moment to himself after taking some punishment from the wraith. Back then, Arthur could feel sadness and grief upon seeing the elaborate tombstone set up like a memorial, but soon came to accept it as the grim reality. Nothing ever comes smoothly, after all. No matter how much one would deny or refuse to acknowledge it, a reality someone will not like or agree with will ensue no matter what.

And on Arthur's end, he always got the short end of the stick. He had become a victim of so many possibilities going wrong, he wondered how he is still alive.

If anything, he should've been the one that died.

“ _You'll see what I mean once you reach here,” Lance said as he handed Elaine a small map with a small red X marking where they need to go._

Once Arthur and Elaine reached closer to their destination, to their surprise, they saw someone they know well looking down with a scornful gaze in front of one of the graves.

“When did Niniane get here?” Arthur whispered to Elaine.

“She arrived here a few days ago,” Elaine whispered back, “I know she went and scouted out Tempo ahead of time to make sure you would be safe. But this doesn't explain why she's here of all places.”

When the two approached, Niniane glanced their way to acknowledge them with a nod, then crossed her arms and gave the simple grave marker a look of disgust.

Arthur could only look down at the simple stone slab that only had the name legible, everything else was-- He did a double take.

_...What?_

Niniane gave a humph of contempt.

“I guess the actions of your abuser didn't go unnoticed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _It's like I haven't got a clue, and..._


End file.
